Buried in Snow
by SunnyGirl202
Summary: Rufus Shinra is kidnapped by the small rag tag organization, AVALANCHE. But the moments of solitude and feelings of helplessness are starting to grate on him while one of his captors shows him genuine affection. Slowly but surely, Rufus must make sense out of this situation and emerge unharmed. Rufus/Tifa, lemon content. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Rufus Shinra stirred in the confined space. How long had it been? One hour? Two hours? He had drifted in and out of consciousness, and slowly but surely, the pain in his head and abdomen turned into dull, persistent aches. He wanted to yell, but the cloth in his taped up mouth made is presence known, and he knew it would be useless. He wanted to kick his bound legs, but they were drawn up so close to his chest due to the small space. He tried to move his arms, but they too, were bound behind him.

" _What happened?"_

He tried to piece together the events that led him up to this moment. He had been attending a society dinner with his father on one of his rare times he was allowed away from Junon. He loathed having to attend these functions, not wanting to be away from his work for long, and despised the disingenuous high class attendees. He despised the polluted air in Midgar and the congested atmosphere. Not that Junon was much better at times, but he at least had the ocean to look out towards and he was rid of his father's criticism.

The throbbing pain in his head came back to him as he remembered a drunk Scarlet trying to sloppily kiss him on the cheek. He drew back and tripped on something behind him, sending him backward on a table and hitting his head in the process. That vile woman had always been trying to plant on him while feigning a parent-like love for him, but he wasn't fooled.

The commotion caused a scene and Scarlet made a mad dash out of sight, not wanting to face Rufus' or his father's wrath. "Sir, are you okay?" Reno dashed to his aid, helping him to his feet.

Rufus patted his shoulder of any debris that might have landed on him and straightened his blindingly white coat. "I'm fine, Reno," Rufus said warily, lifting his hand to the back of his head. "See to it that Scarlet is reprimanded for this." Reno gave a nod and turned and left as Rude came up from behind him.

"Sir, shall I get you a first aid kit?" the bald Turk asked him.

Rufus shook his head. "No, no, Rude, thank you. I'll go get one in my father's office upstairs."

"Would you like us to escort you?"

Again Rufus shook his head. He took this incident as a precursor to get away from the crowd. He wasn't looking forward to speaking with anyone and wished he could just either get back to his own office or get back to work. He made his way to the elevator and pressed the up button. Suddenly, Rufus was grappled rather roughly by his shoulder as the elevator doors opened and swiftly turned around. There before him stood his father, as fat and grotesque as ever.

"Leaving so soon, son?" he asked. Rufus could tell he was straining not to look angry or threatening, but Rufus knew better. He knew the only reason he wanted Rufus in attendance was to parade him around the gathering to keep up appearances of a happy, well meaning family. "I haven't even introduced you to our latest benefactors." He drew in close to Rufus and lowered his voice to a more menacing tone. "There's a lot word about _that_ terrorist group blowing up reactors. If you suddenly start running off, the public will start talking." His moved up to Rufus' collar and yanked him closer still. "You've made this mess and you will stay until it's cleaned up."

Rufus almost laughed until he could smell the, no doubt, endless glasses of champagne on his father's breath. He gently pulled away. "I'm just going upstairs for some ice. Scarlet knocked me over and I hit my head. I'll be right back down," Rufus managed to spit out through clenched teeth.

His father released him and straightened out his wrinkled collar. "Don't take too long," he said.

Rufus turned and pressed the elevator doors open again and climbed on. He typed in the correct key code allowing him access to the top floor. On the way up, he rubbed the lump on his head. He did not want to show it, but it hurt more than he let on. The notifying ding of the elevator, the darkness of the abandoned office and the singular step into the room, were the last things he remembered as he felt a sharp pain jab him in the stomach. His legs stiffened beneath him and gave way as the floor came up to smack him in the face. The world went back after that.

Now he came to without falling back into unconsciousness. The confined space was cold, very cold, as if he were stuffed into a freezer. When the space he was in jolted, he knew then that he was in some sort of vehicle being transported on some uneven terrain. _"Great, I've been kidnapped,"_ he thought. It should have been obvious the moment he found himself in this space, but he didn't want to believe the security in his father's company was that incompetent to allow unauthorized personnel in the most exclusive part of the whole building. He didn't have time to ponder how the kidnappers managed to get a hold of the password as he felt the vehicle slow down and stop.

He felt a still silence and the sound of footsteps outside. Suddenly the ceiling of his vessel was lifted and he was blinded by sunlight and silhouette of, what he assumed to be, his kidnappers. "Well, look who's awake," he heard a gruff voice say. He tried to force his azure eyes open, trying to get a look at his abductors, but, almost too quickly, he was lifted up out of the vehicle and hoisted upon a burly man's shoulder. Eyes cast down toward the ground, he could see snow. _"That explains the cold,"_ he thought. He then heard a separate set of feet behind them, following them.

He was carried into some sort of cottage. His eyes caught wood flooring and he could feel the heat from a close burning fireplace on him. He heard a new set of footsteps on the wood floor approach them. His abductor kicked a door open and set Rufus down in a chair in a room. One of his abductors, he could now see was a very large and scruffy black man, bound his shoulders to the back of the chair and stood back. The two other footsteps came into view behind him. To his left, a much smaller, young man with spiky blond hair and to his right, a young woman with raven hair and large ruby eyes. All of them were bundled up in warm clothing save for the young lady, who must have been indoors this whole time.

He didn't have much time to drink in much of what he was seeing when the black man began to speak. "Well it's not the big chief himself, but he should do," he bellowed.

"It's not him though," the young woman said. "This may not work."

"It'll be fine," said the spiked-haired man and he shed his outer warm wear, revealing his SOLDIER first class attire. Rufus' brow furrowed. _"This group….could it be?"_ Rufus thought to himself. "He should have plenty of information himself."

The spikey-haired SOLDIER kicked another chair near to him and sat face to face with his abductee. He looked over the young vice president with his taped mouth and messy hair. He reached up and ripped off the tape in one smooth motion. Rufus let out a grunt from the pain but tried to keep his expression from anything other than blank. Whatever these vermin were trying to get out of him, he wasn't going to tell them a thing.

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Vice President," said the man. "My name is Cloud Strife. Let's not waste each others' time. What's Shinra's next move?" Rufus didn't say a word. He didn't want to give this low-life the satisfaction. "Not talking, huh?" the man stood and punched him square in the face with a gloved hand. The blow left a bloody mark on his high cheekbone and small stream of blood fell down his face. "You better wise up, rich boy, or it's going to get ugly." The man gave him a piercing gaze with his unnaturally glowing eyes.

"Cloud!" yelled the woman. "Stop, he's probably still recovering from the past couple of nights."

" _A couple of nights? Just how far were they if it took so long to get here?"_ Rufus thought.

"Don't get soft, girl," said the black man. "This little pampered boy can survive a long drive in a buggy."

She lowered her voice when she spoke again, but Rufus could still hear her. "He didn't do anything though, what good is he?"

"It seems our lady friend thinks you can use some rest," said Cloud. He pulled the binds from the chair and lifted the tied up vice president and threw him on an uncomfortable cot in the room. "I'll be back soon so you better find that tongue of yours." Cloud shot him a glare as he followed the other two out of the room. Before he closed the door behind him, he poked his head in. "Don't even think about escaping either, Shinra. We're completed isolated with nothing but snow for miles. Don't be foolish now." The door slammed shut behind him.

Rufus' eyes, now adjusted to the single, bright light in the room scanned his surroundings. This new confined space was smaller than any closet he'd ever seen. There was a cot, the two chairs used in the short lived interrogation, and a chamber pot in the corner. _"Lovely,"_ Rufus thought, being reduced to this.

At least he was placed on something other than the floor. It could be a lot worse. His face throbbed wildly from that skinny brute. He would be sure to make him pay. He knew that he was partly responsible, funding this group, AVALANCE. But these people were not the same as before, not the ones he hoped would eliminate his father all those years back. This group would do him no good now.

Rufus let the weight pull him down to the skeletal means of comfort beneath him. Any minute now, he knew the Turks or his father's soldiers would storm this place and take him back to Junon. But the hours droned by and his room became deftly silent. Occasionally he could hear the two deep-voiced men talking, probably formulating a new plan. Rufus picked up quickly that he wasn't even their target, thanks to the young woman. So they were after his father? _"What would they want with him? What were their plans?"_ Rufus pondered.

"He may not be the president, but he can be used as a bargaining chip," Cloud's muffled voice came through the wooden door. "We'll just have to determine the terms and someone will go back to Midgar and deliver the message."

"Is that Flower Girl still keeping contact?" the other male was heard saying.

"Yeah, Aerith will give us any news we can't get out here. She's probably asleep or busy now. We can wait until tomorrow. Whatever the news is though, that bastard better start talking."

Rufus heard the men move about and heard the footsteps fade away, only for them to be heard above his head. He heard infrequent shuffling as he leaned back trying to get comfortable. It was clear they weren't coming for him the rest of the night.

Solitude. His bound wrists kept him from lying on his back and his shoulders became numb. Eventually, he heard the rustling and voices calm down and he assumed his kidnappers had gone to sleep. Rufus was irritated and hungry. He hadn't eaten since the party and could feel his stomach rumbling. He tried to will himself to sleep through it, but he was startled by the door opening and saw the voluptuous female enter the tiny room. She carried a tray with what appeared to be food on it and a small box in her other hand.

She quietly shut the door behind her. "I'm sorry, Cloud can get so testy sometimes," she said softly, being mindful of her sleeping companions. Rufus shot her a perplexed look. "Hungry?" Rufus nodded faintly but kept his face stoic. "I thought you might adopt a silent attitude. But you will have to say 'please' if you want to eat." She straightened her back and waited for his response, holding an ever so slight smirk on her lips.

Rufus pursed his lips. He was frustrated, tired, and _bound_. And now this wench has the audacity to make him beg for food? He wanted to shout at her, but an audible growl in his stomach kept him from doing such. "Please," he said through clenched teeth.

The young lady smiled and placed the tray of food down on one of the chairs. "Goody, but first…" she said as she sat beside him, "let's get you patched up." She reached up to touch his injured face and he reared back in surprise.

"That's not necessary," said Rufus.

"Of course it is. We did this to you, it only makes sense we make it right." She reached for him again. Her touch was soft against his throbbing cheek and, while the bleeding had stopped, it couldn't hurt for some human interaction. He knew that this girl was not as adamant as her colleagues; he could probably get some information out of her if he wanted, about what they planned to do with him. "It's not as bad as it looks," she said softly. She opened the small box, revealed to be a small first aid kit. She took out a sterilized piece of cloth from a silver package and dabbed it on the cut. Rufus winced but let her continue.

"See, it's not so bad," she said sweetly. Rufus shot her a disconcerted look. "I'm Tifa," she said as she continued cleaning his wound. "Tifa Lockhart. I'm sorry about all of this. We weren't really after you." Rufus rolled his eyes. As if _that_ would make him feel better. "There, all done." Tifa applied the small white cloth to his face to cover up the wound and taped it into place.

She sat back, admired her work and smiled, making Rufus feel a bit uncomfortable. "Now it's time to eat." Rufus felt a small measure of relief. Eating would get his strength back up and maybe give him energy to think of his own plan. Tifa reached over to the chair and picked up the tray she brought in. She brought two sandwiches and some water. Out of instinct, he tried to reach for it, but he found his hands still bound.

"Oh I'm sorry. I can take care of that." Tifa reached behind Rufus in the small space between the cot and wall and pulled up a small set of chains. "I guess Cloud forgot to put them on. It'll be much more comfortable. You'll be able to move more freely." She paused and looked at him inquisitively.

Was this woman asking permission to chain him up like some animal? Still, his reach would be better and he could move his arms in front of him if need be. He gave her a slight nod. He leaned forward so that Tifa had easier access to his wrists. She fastened the chain to his wrists securely and then undid the binds. Instantly the pressure was lifted from his strained hands and felt the blood rush back to his fingertips. He brought his arms back in front of him and he shook them a bit, hearing the jingling of the chains as he did so.

"Better?" asked Tifa as she reached the food tray out to him.

"Yes. Thank you," he said flatly. He took the sandwich in his hands and took a bite. His face gave a contorted look. "What is this?" he said, mouth partially full.

"Peanut butter," she said casually. "I know it's not what you're used to, but it's all I can give you for now. They weren't planning on feeding you until you started talking to them. But I can't very well have our guest starve, can I?"

Rufus sighed. He didn't want to admit that he kind of liked it. He never had something like this before, at least that's what he imagined. The texture was odd and sticky, but it tasted good and was oddly familiar. Despite the circumstances, he found himself eating the two sandwiches quickly, paying no heed to manners or restraint.

"Water?" Tifa asked as she handed him the small cup. After the bread and peanut butter, Rufus was rather parched.

"Thank you," he said once again. He drank the cup's contents quickly and felt a new breadth of life seep into him. "Do your comrades know you're doing this?"

Tifa looked away shyly. Without her ever watchful gaze on him, Rufus finally took this small time to really look at her. She was young. Very young, at least younger than he was. She did not look like she was dressed for such a climate either. She wore a white tank top and a tight black skirt, held up with suspenders. She also had large breasts. _"Very large,"_ Rufus thought. Her face was pale and fresh, as if she had never known a day of stress in her life, but he knew that couldn't be true. His eyes shot back up to face her when she began to speak. "No….they don't."

Rufus knew that secrets in a tight-knit group could unravel things pretty fast, but he would never admit that to her. "Well I thank you for your compassion, Miss Lockhart." Rufus managed to say. "But I'm sure they'll find out when they see my bandage."

"I know. But surely they can't get angry that I'm ensuring the safety of our hostage." Tifa grimaced. She didn't like the taste of that word in her mouth. In her mind, casualties should be avoided by any means. This man before her, while not entirely innocent, was not responsible for their mission. "Anyway, Cloud and Barrett will come back to question you tomorrow. If you don't want another wound, I suggest you tell them what you can." Tifa rose and turned to leave. She opened the door and looked back at him as she exited. "Oh and another thing…." She paused. "Don't tell them I fed you."

And with that she closed the door behind her, leaving Rufus to his own thoughts once again.


	2. Chapter 2

After Tifa left, Rufus began to wonder about her other two companions. One of them was a first class SOLDIER named Cloud, how did he end up with these people? The other man had a gun for an arm and seemed to be the most blood thirsty. _"Quite the interesting lot,"_ Rufus thought. And then there was that woman. She was so unlike the other two, besides the fact that she was a female. She seemed to care about his well-being as a person, which was more to say than others had treated him in this situation.

He recalled the time over ten years ago, when he was barely thirteen. He was in Costa del Sol on one of his father's many 'appearance trips.' When Rufus pulled himself away from the crowds and the media, all trying to get a piece of the president's son, by way of disappearing down an alleyway, he was snatched by three people and stuffed in their summer home, wanting to hold him for ransom. They were far less accommodating than these AVALANCE members.

Terrified and alone, the three kidnappers slapped him when he asked for food, dunked cold water on him when he said he was thirsty and threatened to kill him if he screamed for help. Rufus' father wasted no time in having his missing son found. When the Turks found him, Rufus willed himself not to cry, an easy feat as he was taught early on that tears meant weakness and that they would not be tolerated while his father was alive. The entire ordeal only lasted a half a day, and the kidnappers were executed by sundown.

Then there was the time he was kidnapped by the Turks just five years ago. They too handled him roughly in hopes he could be exchanged for their leader. Despite this, Rufus came out of that ordeal with only bruised ribs and even spared the Turks for their betrayal. Now those people worked directly for him. From that day on, he kept a firearm in his coat should he need to use it. But unsurprisingly, his abductors took it from him while he was passed out. He could only hope now that the Turks were hot on his trail.

Rufus was dumbfounded when he realized he had not yet been rescued. It didn't take them long in Costa del Sol, what exactly was the hold up now? Did the security cameras really not find anything? Was his prolonged absence from the party not noticed for a while? Rufus sighed and instead turned his thoughts to how he would deal with these people. He didn't want to talk, and he truthfully had nothing to say. His father wasn't exactly forthcoming when it came to the inner workings of the company since Rufus was exposed as the chief financer for the first incarnation of AVALANCE. Still, he couldn't very well reveal such a fact to these people. They either wouldn't believe him, or they would oust him to the rest of the public, neither of which would improve the situation.

Rufus rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, listening to the gentle hum of the light bulb above his head. His stomach no longer growled and his wrists were no longer behind his back. Tifa definitely improved his situation drastically. His head also no longer hurt from the fateful injury that started this mess. He lightly touched the bandage Tifa had placed on his cheek. The dull pain still throbbed under the skin, but the cut was covered and didn't sting. But the cold from, what he presumed to be the night due to the changing temperature, slowly crept in through his coat. He was grateful he was allowed to keep that at least. But slowly and surely, the cold seeped into his clothing and he tried to remain perfectly still, lest he move and feel a new jolt of icy air pierce his body. Rufus sighed and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, he was roughly awoken by the spikey-haired blond violently kicking the door open. "Wakey wakey, sunshine," he said. "Time for breakfast." Rufus was propped up by the black man and had a bowl of questionable contents shoved in his lap. Rufus steadied it with his hands. Cloud's eyes furrowed. "Who untied you?" His gaze moved to the chains. "Ah, I see Tifa took the liberty of keeping you in place." His gaze drifted to his bandaged face. "And cleaning you up."

Rufus tried to read his tone; he couldn't tell if this man was relieved or annoyed. He looked down at the bowl in his hands and to the spikey-haired blond before him. He held Rufus in his gaze as he waited for him to eat it. The runny cream colored substance that filled his bowl looked horrid. He didn't think he would ever be hungry enough to eat it. Still, Tifa specifically told him not to let the others know she fed him, and if he didn't eat now, they might get suspicious. _"Best not to do wrong by the people on your side."_ Rufus reluctantly put a spoonful in his mouth and felt the bland, slimy contents slip down his throat. It was revolting.

"Nice to see you have the strength to eat," he said. "Now let's try this again." He kicked the chair near him and sat in front of the vice president's cot. "What's Shinra's next move?"

Rufus remained silent for a moment. When he saw the other man rise from his chair with his hand ready to strike, Rufus finally spoke, "I don't know." His response didn't save him from the blow that came to his temple. Rufus fell over and saw stars while the contents of his bowl spilled out on the floor beneath him.

He was then grabbed roughly by the collar as Cloud forced his face close to his. "What do you mean you _don't know_?" Cloud demanded.

Rufus looked right at him defiantly. "I mean I don't know." That was the truth. The terrorist could take it or leave it.

Cloud shoved him back onto the cot, the force causing Rufus to hit his head on the wall behind him. The familiar pain came back, and Rufus was surprised he hadn't gotten brain damage yet. "Do you even care what is happening to the world? Your father is steering this planet toward total destruction. Pretty soon there will be no world left for your precious company to rule."

Rufus was getting fed up with trying to be calm and polite. "Well I'll let you know how much I care when my old man croaks. But until then, I don't have any information for you, you bastard" Rufus spat out.

A swift punch to his abdomen had Rufus doubling over in pain. "Not the right attitude. I wonder how much daddy will be willing to give up for such a poorly mannered brat." Rufus' breathing became painful, but he tried to maintain his composure. Cloud smirked when he saw the spilled contents of the food he was given on the floor. "Enjoy breakfast." Cloud left and swiftly shut the door behind him.

Rufus could hear Barrett bellow at him from the outside, "That's it? Yer letting 'im get off that easy? He definitely knows more than he's lettin' on. Lemme at him, I'll make him talk." Rufus heard a scuffle behind the door. He could hear Cloud speak lowly to him but couldn't make out what he was saying. Whatever he said, he could hear the black man recede and heard their footsteps walk away. In the distant, he could hear more light steps coming down from far away stairs.

The distinct feminine voice could be heard on the other side of the door. How Rufus wished he could hear what she was saying. Maybe she would talk them into going easier on him. He didn't want to be turned into a punching bag. His hopes of Tifa convincing them were short lived when he heard a sharp rise in Cloud's voice. "And you _helped_ him!" Rufus heard him say. Rufus could feel the tension from the other side of the door. The outside room had become eerily silent. The female did not respond. "There is a monster spawn in that room that holds the key to our mission, he doesn't deserve such treatment!"

" _God, Tifa, stand up for yourself!"_ Rufus' inner thoughts shouted. He heard Tifa speak up, but again couldn't make out the words. At least she wasn't taking this lecture lying down. He heard a hard fist slam down on a table. The sudden loud sound made even Rufus jolt. For a split second he thought that Cloud struck her. _"No! Not while Rufus is in the house!"_ a faint woman's voice echoed in his mind at the thought. In a blinding moment of anger, he wanted to smash the SOLDIER's head into a wall for even so much as _thinking_ of harming a woman. When he heard wood splintering he was relieved that it was probably some piece of furniture.

"That's not the point! Barrett try and talk some sense into her, I'll try and get a radio signal."

Rufus then heard an exchange between Tifa and Barrett for a few moments, but their conversation was cut short when the volume of the radio increased and released a scratchy broadcast throughout the cottage. Rufus could make out the words clearly. "Continued developments today on the missing persons report of the Vice President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, Rufus Shinra. Rufus Shinra was last seen three days ago at a the Shinra building in Midgar around eleven thirty p.m. Since then, several leads have been pursued by authorities but the missing son of the President has not yet been located. Several reports have indicated that the eco terrorist group, AVALANCE, is responsible but no confirmation has been made yet. So far, the head of the company has not indicated if there have been any calls for ransom. If you have any information, please contact-" the radio went silent after that.

Rufus was at least pleased to know that people were looking for him. His kidnappers had not apparently made any attempt to contact his father to ransom him off. Rufus had a sinking feeling that his captors were not interested in just Gil anymore.

Tifa watched Cloud as he switched off the radio. "Let them sweat it out. We don't need to send terms their way just yet," he said.

"And jes how long do you think it'll be til they find us here?" Barrett retorted.

"They won't find us here. We haven't had any direct contact with anyone at the company yet. There's no way they could trace us." Cloud pointed to the radio. "Of course the media will point to us whether we're guilty or not. Shinra owns the media!"

Tifa pursed her lips. She didn't know what to say. After the verbal lashing she got from Cloud, she didn't want to set him off again. Of course he would never strike her but when Cloud was in one of his moods, she didn't want to tempt fate nor expend the energy talking to a brick wall.

Cloud sighed. "I'm going to try and contact Aerith and get a grip on the situation in Midgar. When the time is right, we'll deliver the terms to the company. Until then," Cloud turned to face Tifa directly. "Don't go near him, Tifa. He's probably a master manipulator, and the second you show him a sign of weakness, he'll use you to tear us apart from the inside."

Tifa nodded. Cloud was probably right. Still, Rufus never said anything rude to her, even while she lightly pushed his buttons. He even let her bandage his face. Tifa heard the rumors, that no one has ever seen him bleed or cry. But she saw him bleed when Cloud struck him. He wasn't some enigmatic tyrant, he was a person too. Although she hated Shinra and everything they stood for, she knew Rufus couldn't be held fully accountable for what they did. She tried to push that thought from her mind.

Cloud went upstairs to try and get a signal that would reach Aerith back in the slums. Tifa had a feeling that he wasn't going to talk about just business. She sighed. Barrett walked over to her and placed a palm on her should. "Everything's goin' to be fine," he said assuredly. "Listen to what he says, don't let that monster get inside your head."

Tifa placed her hand over her friends and patted it affectionately. "I won't."She looked at the door, knowing that he was on the other side, probably in pain. What good would Rufus serve if he was too damaged to even move? Tifa could hear the ever so faint giggle from Cloud upstairs as he spoke with the flower girl. "Barrett, why don't you go get some more firewood?"

"Yeah, we could probably use some more," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tifa nodded and fixed a quick lunch for the two of them. They ate quickly and Barrett left Tifa to do the dishes. "Okay, I'll be back in a few." Barrett donned his outdoor clothing and shut the door behind him. It was a beautiful, clear afternoon now on the mountain and Tifa wanted some peace to enjoy it in the safety of the cottage. As soon as she hard Barrett's buggy drive off, she went to the room where Rufus lay.

She opened the door slowly and saw him laying on the cot with his knees drawn up to his chest, a look of grimace on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Your friend….is pretty rough," Rufus managed to choke out. Tifa went to his side inspected his face. She saw the new mark Cloud left on his temple, marring his perfect features.

"I'll be right back," she said and she rushed out the door and returned shortly after with the first aid it. She eased him back to an upright position, paying careful attention to his hurt abdomen. "Did he punch you in the stomach too?" Rufus nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'll see if I can get him to ease up." Tifa put her hand under his chin and tilted his head away from her, exposing the new wound on his face. She opened up the first aid kit and began to clean the fresh cut.

"That guy…Cloud," Rufus said, gaze transfixed on the slightly open door and not the delicate female next to him. "Why did he yell at you? Does he always talk to you like that?"

"Of course not. Cloud's just stressed out," Tifa was not entirely convinced herself of what she just said. Was Rufus worried about her? _"The second you show him a sign of weakness, he'll use you to tear us apart from the inside."_ Cloud's words echoed in her mind. Maybe this man was trying to manipulate her. She had to be careful with what she said around him, and not take anything he said to heart.

"No man should ever speak to his woman that way," Rufus said, agitated.

"I'm not his woman!" Tifa said sharply. She breathed in slowly, almost embarrassed at how quickly she responded to Rufus statement. She finished dressing the wound and stepped back to make sure the bandage was secure. The moments spent looking at it gave Rufus the opportunity to look at this woman once again. Perhaps it was the angle at which she was slightly bent, but he was treated to a lovely view of her bosom as the difference in height at that moment had her towering over him.

"I see…." Rufus breathed.

Tifa didn't seem to hear him. When she stepped back she noticed the contents of his breakfast had spilled over the edge of the bed. "You dodged a bullet. I wouldn't feed this grub to a dog," she chuckled. Tifa took a piece of cloth, went to the floor and cleaned up the food.

"What is it?" Rufus asked, curious.

"Chocobo feed," she replied, focusing on the task at hand. When she crawled over to get the last bits on the farther side of the tiny room, she reached ever so slightly for the small pile. Rufus found himself leaning over ever so slightly to the side and caught the faintest glimpse of white panties under her skirt. Rufus felt something stir inside him and felt a heat rise to his cheeks.

When Tifa arose Rufus snapped back to his original upright position, luckily her back was still to him. Now maybe she wouldn't see the color change in his face. He hesitated slightly before he spoke. "Tifa…" she turned to face him. "Thank you."

All he got in response was a faint smile and a slight nod. Rufus felt a bit wounded. He didn't say those words often and genuinely mean them as he did now. Perhaps he felt Tifa should have given him more. In a rare instance, he decided not to push the issue. Despite all that had happened, he did enjoy the company. When alone with his thoughts, all he could think about the state of his company and the futile attempts of escape. If he could keep some measure of human interaction, he would much prefer it to be with her and not the two brutes.

Tifa left the room and with the spilled food and first aid kit. She returned to empty the chamber pot and came back, not showing the slightest hint of hesitation. Rufus was slightly embarrassed that she took it upon herself to take care of such a vile thing. Tifa returned soon after, looking shy. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

The food that she had given him last night had kept him full enough to not eat the sludge that was offered by the other man. But he could feel the onset of a second wave of hunger begin to creep up on him. "I will be, here soon," he answered truthfully.

"Would you like another one of my gourmet peanut butter sandwiches?" Tifa asked with pouting lips.

"Are you mocking me?" Rufus asked with a raised brow. He was used to petty insults that stemmed from his privileged upbringing from others, especially from his enemies. But he wasn't so sure with this woman. In all actuality, he liked the peanut butter sandwiches she gave him. They held a strange sense of familiarity he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Of course I am!" she giggled. "There's nothing show worthy I can give you out here. Unless you're curious about the chocobo feed. You can pretend its exotic soup from Wutai." She smiled.

Rufus suppressed a laugh himself, but was unable to contain his smile. For a brief moment he didn't feel the chains or the stale air in the room. He only felt a sense of calm as he looked at the busty woman, eyes wide and shining with her own glint of laughter. Rufus looked down at his chained arms and was pulled slowly back to the reality of the situation. "I would like that."

Tifa noticed a small spark leave his eyes. She felt guilty for being partly responsible for his situation. If only Rufus' father had been the one to enter his office, Rufus would have been spared. True, there was no telling what Rufus would do if his father was kidnapped instead, but there was no sense in thinking about it now. "I'll bring you some later, after they go to bed…." there was a slight pause. There _had_ to be something more she could do for him. "Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?"

Rufus had been stuffed into this room with a barren cot, with only his coat to keep him warm. It did little to help him in the chilling nights. "Yes…." He paused and remembered what she had said to him the night before. "…Please," he said barely above a whisper.

A grin spread across Tifa's face as she raised her eyebrows. She hadn't been expecting that. Indeed Rufus felt as if a ray of sunshine entered the room when she smiled. Tifa answered his request with a nod and he saw her practically skip out of the room. She seemed so joyful over something so little. Were her two comrades beating her down so much? Especially that brash SOLDIER? His forceful lecture he gave to Tifa made Rufus uneasy. He felt angry, but why? After all, this woman was part of the group that took him away from his work and his home. He wracked his brain trying to figure out why he felt such concern for this woman.

Tifa greeted Barrett as he came in from the outside cold three hours later. "Buggy's full of firewood. Should last a few days," Barrett shed his outer coat. "How're ya holdin' up?"

"Just fine. Cloud hasn't come downstairs. I think he's taking a nap," Tifa respond as she walked through the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Any peep out of our 'lil friend?" His chin poked up to the door.

Tifa shook her head. "We'll need to talk to Cloud about our plans with him. We can't keep him here forever."

Barrett scoffed. "The hell we can't. Let the dude suffer, it's no skin off my nose." Tifa shrugged. Why fight him? He didn't have the final word on what the new plan would be, Cloud did. "I'm gonna wake Spike up and see if I can get a hold of Marlene."

Tifa nodded and began to prepare dinner. She made a simple, large batch of chili, perfect for the cold weather. Soon Cloud and Barrett came thumping downstairs and Tifa served them each a bowl. "Aerith says there are posters of the missing Shinra all over town," Cloud announced. "She says rewards for any information leading to him are going for as high as two hundred thousand Gil."

"Wow," was all Tifa had to say. That was more money than she could ever hope to make in a ten years. She sat at the table and switched the smaller on to a local station, hoping to listen to some music while Cloud and Barrett spoke of Marlene and Aerith's well being. Tifa was happy they were doing well back in Midgar. When the last bits of their bowls were emptied out, Tifa took Cloud and Barrett's bowls and served them seconds. She hadn't made it back to the table before the quiet, easy listening music was interrupted by an emergency broadcast. "Breaking news from Midgar, President Shinra of the Shinra Electric Power Company has been found dead in his office. I repeat, President Shinra of the long-standing Shinra Electric Power Company has been found dead."

Tifa could feel her heart sink as she almost dropped the bowls in her hand onto the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

When the news broadcast came on, the entire room went deftly silent save for the static laced voice coming from the radio. Cloud turned up the volume until it was nearly blaring and Rufus could hear it from the other side of the door clearly. He stared at the door, letting the words sink into his mind.

" _More tragedy for the Shinra family as President Shinra has been found dead in his office in Midgar this evening by way of an impalement by a large sword,"_ the reporter said. _"The president was discovered by Shinra employees who went to check up on him today when he failed to report to a press conference addressing his missing son. Rufus Shinra, who disappeared three days ago is still missing. The head of weapons development of Shinra had this to say…."_

" _It is in our desperate hour that we ask the public for their prayers and condolences,"_ Rufus heard the shrill sound of Scarlet's voice even with the sketchy signal from the radio. _"I knew President Shinra well and I know his last thoughts were of his beloved son, Rufus."_ Rufus rolled his eyes at the statement. Even in death his dear old dad and his minions made sure to keep up appearances. _"In our company's hour of need, we request absolute privacy. Thank you and good night."_

" _No confirmation of who the murderer is yet but there are speculation reports that indicate it may be the eco-terrorist group, AVALANCE, who is also believed to behind the abduction of Rufus Shinra….."_ there was a slight pause in the report. _"This just in, we have received confirmation that the murder weapon used was an astonishing seven foot blade found at the murder scene!"_

Cloud shot up from his chair, sending it teetering to the floor, while simultaneously shouting, "What the hell!"

Tifa stood there with her mouth open, still holding the two empty bowls. She and Cloud looked at each other in disbelief. _"It can't be…."_ Tifa thought, knowing Cloud must have thought the same thing. Tifa sat slowly down in her chair and set the two bowls on the table, completely lost in broadcast.

" _Once again, President Shinra has been found dead in his office…"_ the voice continued before Cloud shut the radio off. His fist pounded into the table, making Tifa jump and the surface shake.

"Well that's just dandy," Cloud said, head down, not even looking at his teammates. He slowly raised his head to look at Tifa.

Tifa slowly shook her head. "It's not true Cloud…there's no way it's him…" Tifa managed to say. She didn't believe it herself. _Sephiroth._ His iconic blade held in his hands as the vivid memory came flooding back to her. The man responsible for the destruction of her town. The man whose sole purpose in life was to serve the company she despised so much. She had to stop herself from turning her eyes towards the door, behind which was Rufus, the heir to the company. How would she break such devastating news to him tonight?

"Well there goes our damn plan…" Cloud mumbled. "What good is he to us now?" Tifa remembered the plan well. They had wanted to use Rufus as leverage in order to force Shinra to cease mako mining in certain areas in exchange for his safe return. Now that his father was dead, there was much doubt as to who in the company would want his safe return. With an open seat for the presidency, the group was sure that Rufus' disappearance would give way to more power hungry corporate climbers trying to fill the role. Time was running out.

"Don't seem so sure," Tifa spoke up. "I'm sure the company needs to be assured of his safe return. Without a Shinra in the seat, the whole inner workings of the place will fall apart!"

"How do you know that?" asked Barrett.

Tifa paused. "People that are ruled under an iron fist won't be able to spring into a leadership position quickly. I've seen it happen. There's going to be discord before one person stands at the top."

Cloud pondered for a moment. "You may have a point. But with all of the madness that's going to happen, what can we hope to gain with him now?" he asked.

"….Cloud…if he is really back…I mean….if _he_ has truly returned…." Cloud knew what Tifa meant. If Sephiroth had indeed suddenly appeared, there were going to be bigger worries than a few mako reactors.

Cloud was stonily silent for a minute. Then two minutes. The tension and uncertainty hung in the air like humidity until he finally spoke. "If we can convince Shinra Company to take down Sephiroth in exchange for rich boy's return….it may be the lesser of two evils."

"Les sleep on it," Barrett mentioned. "We can go over details and then deliver the terms to them in person."

Tifa nodded. "I'll clean up the dishes. I'll come up in a bit."

"Don't forget to feed our favorite chocobo," Cloud said smugly. Tifa only nodded in response.

When the broadcast was cut off suddenly, Rufus was pulled back to reality. _"He's dead…he's dead…"_ he thought. The words echoed in his mind over and over. How many years had it been since he had wanted him out of the way? When his father placed him under house arrest in Junon, he could only hope for his terrible smoking habits to do him in. But this was splendid! He didn't even have to get his hands dirty, and once more he had an alibi, absolving him of any guilt, provided the public truly believed he really was kidnapped.

Still, he had to remember that he _was_ a hostage. He didn't need to be told that much of his abductors' plans hinged on him being returned to his father. Now that his father was dead, he knew there he would need to take action soon, before his seat was taken and his usurpers would slowly but surely weed him out in his absence.

He lay on the cot looking at the ceiling. He had to talk to Tifa. She was his only hope in getting help. He needed to make her understand what his father's death truly meant for the future of Midgar and other cities that held Shinra's interest. He heard the group outside of the door, but only caught a few words here and there, mostly the word 'terms.' So they were going to try and negotiate terms? Well that was certainly a step in the right direction in getting him back to where he needed to be.

When he heard the tell tale sounds of the footsteps going up the stairs, Rufus sat up, thinking that Tifa would enter any second. But she didn't. He waited and waited, staring at the door. Each minute sounds coming from the other side set his heart racing, as if she would enter right then. But Rufus was disappointed every time. While he was frustrated at the lack of her appearance, he was still riding the high of the new news of his father's death. He was listing off the things in his head that he would do first as soon as he assumed power in the company.

His racing mind kept him entertained while time went by. But the silence droned in his ears after a while and his stomach began to growl again. _"Where is she?"_ he wanted to shout. He scoffed at the idea of _needing_ her in such a way. He didn't want to think of himself as dependant on anyone else, but if she could make herself useful to his cause, he would need to speak to her. _Now._

Rufus lay completely still, as the cold of the night brought a chill to him once again. He could feel it around his wrists the most, when the metal chains retained the cold temperature inside. He was thankful for his coat. He did not want to know what true shivers he would feel if he was without it. In a few moments, however, he _was_ shivering. It seemed the night had become colder. He could see the slight white puff of air every time he breathed. Was this his punishment for feeling happy over his father's passing? He didn't want think he could be punished for feeling jovial over the world being rid of such a person. The thought made him angry, so much so, he didn't even hear the brunette slip inside the room.

Rufus looked up at her with no words. She was dressed in a warm night outfit and a black overcoat, clearly made for colder climates unlike his white dress coat. In her hands she had a plate a bowl and under her arm she had a folded blanket. Her hair and face were fresh and clean. Rufus could smell the scent of lavender when she approached. She must have showered. Rufus suddenly began to feel self conscious, knowing he hadn't been allowed to bathe this entire time. He sat up and looked into Tifa's face. Her expression was not the normal bubbly one he was used to seeing. She looked despondent, as if she didn't know what to say. Rufus didn't want to bring up the subject of his release just yet. She didn't look like she would up for any such talk.

In the brief moment she caught Rufus staring, she put on a small smile. "I have peanut butter and chili. The meal of champions," she forced every word out, as if fighting back negativity.

Rufus held his hands up and reached for them, as far as he could while the chains held him close to the wall. Tifa placed both dishes in his hands and sat down. She pulled the blanket out from under her arm and draped it around Rufus. The warmth enveloped him he leaned back to relish the feeling, before leaning over to look at Tifa. Casually he took a bite out of the peanut butter sandwich she promised him.

"I take it you didn't hear the news…" Tifa said woefully, not looking at him.

"I heard everything," Rufus said slowly. "My old man is dead."

Tifa turned to look him and placed an arm on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry…." she said.

Rufus turned to face her, his brows furrowed. "For what?" Rufus casually took another bite from his meal.

Tifa was slightly taken aback as she pulled her arm away. "Well…for your loss. Aren't you upset?"

Rufus merely shrugged. "No, not really," he answered truthfully. There was no sense in lying to her about such a thing. Affection for his father was not needed in their plan. "I'm quite relieved to be honest."

Tifa looked away from him and rested her chin on her knees. "Oh…." she said wistfully. There was a slight pause in conversation when Rufus finished his sandwich and held bowl of chili in his hands, letting the warmth seep into his palms. "I lost my father too, you know." Rufus paused. Had he known that, he may not have been so callous with the remarks he made of his own father's passing.

"I….I'm sorry," he turned back to look down at his bowl.

"You know when my father died five years ago, the first thing I felt wasn't grief or anger…" Tifa looked straight in front of her, at nothing in particular as she spoke. "It was fear. All of a sudden, I lost the only sure thing in my life. The one person I could depend on no matter what…was gone. Who would I turn to no matter what? Or who could I go to when I was in a bind? Certainty was no longer there." Tifa looked to the ceiling, still hugging her knees. She remembered the light leave her father's eyes as life slipped away from him, cut down by Sephiroth's sword. She could still feel a burning hatred for Shinra and SOLDIER, the ones responsible for the destruction of her town. She began to shake in fury, her mouth in a hard, straight line.

Suddenly, she felt a soft heat envelop her as she saw Rufus wrapping the blanket around her, enclosing the two of them in its warmth. Tifa blinked, not sure what to say. "You were shaking," Rufus said simply. "I thought you might be cold."

The only thing escaping from Tifa's mouth was the small plume of white as her breath met the chilled air. She remained quiet. Rufus turned back to the rest of his food. He needed to say something else. He could feel that this woman was on the verge of tears, and he wasn't quite prepared to deal with such a situation. "Your father," he began. "He must have been a great man to miss him so."

Tifa swallowed hard. "Yes…."

"Where are you from?"

"Nibelheim," she said flatly, turning her gaze away from him. "Cloud and I both."

"Nibelheim?" Rufus turned to look at her.

"It's a small town near Mt. Nibel, you guys have a reactor out there."

"Yes….I know that place."

Tifa perked up and chuckled lightly. "That can't be true. What would the Shinra heir know of such a Podunk place?"

Rufus was silent for a moment, hesitant to tell her so much. But none of what he would reveal would be of any use to her. "I was born there."

Tifa turned to face him once again, her eyes moist from the unfallen tears. "Really? Of all places?"

Rufus nodded. "At the Shinra mansion. I can't say I quite recall the exact events," Tifa smiled at the remark, "but I have been told my mother liked that place because of the calm air."

Tifa remembered the mansion clearly, always looming in the distant reaches of the town. Only top Shinra personnel were allowed to go near there. Even when Tifa was the designated guide of Mt. Nibel, Shinra personnel did not allow her to go near the mansion. She was always curious of what lay inside. "It must have been a nice place." Tifa pulled the blanket around her shoulders more tightly.

Rufus shook his head. "Only on the outside. I hated being in there when I was young. I remember hearing voices at night. Screams sometimes, from the basement. I don't know if that place is haunted or not, but I don't ever want to go back." Rufus dipped his spoon in the chili and brought it up to his mouth and savored the meaty flavor. Finally some _real_ sustenance. "I finally left when I was five."

"You spent that much time in Nibelheim?"

"Not entirely. I of course was sent on vacations and educational trips much of the time," Rufus shrugged. But we always made it back to that house. My mother would take care of me while my father was off making trouble for the rest of the world."

"Do you remember much?"

Rufus wondered why she was asking so many questions about such an insignificant time of his life. It didn't matter anymore, the past was gone. "Not too much. I remember seeing so many stars at night. Sometimes my mother would take me out on long walks and we would sit near the silo in the center of town. We'd spend hours picking out constellations." The thought brought a small smile to his face.

Tifa listened to Rufus' reminiscing intently. She thought it crazy that all those years ago she sat in that very spot with Cloud when he promised to always be there for her.

"But when my mother died, my father whisked me off to Midgar where there are no stars to be seen at night." Rufus pursed his lips. "I never did get to see where my mom was buried either." Rufus exhaled sharply, as if he were angry. He buried the emotion quickly, not wanting to let it consume him.

Tifa sensed the fury in his tone and tried to turn the subject back to Nibelheim. "You remember it as I do. So many stars in the sky, the calm nights."

"It is indeed a special place."

" _Was_ a special place..." Tifa looked away, dejected.

Rufus cleared his throat. He was aware of the incident five years ago. When Sephiroth went on a rampage. He didn't want to believe that this woman was there to witness it all. If she was, she had to have been a young teenager. Too young to see such devastation. "Yes….I remember it fondly."

"Me too," Tifa chewed her lower lip. "What was she like?" Rufus glanced at her. "Your mother?"

Rufus paused. His mother was a touchy subject. One that he never shared with anyone before. Indeed, he was well aware that the only people in the world that would have intimate knowledge of his mother were him, his father and very few Shinra personnel. Why should he share such a thing with Tifa? There was nothing she could use that information for. "Why do you ask?" he asked, looking right at her.

Tifa matched his gaze for the first time since she entered the room. "You seemed happy, that's all. Happier than I've seen you ever, even before you came here."

Rufus was stuck silent by Tifa's choice of words. _"Happy?"_ he thought. How would anyone know or see him as happy? The only way she could have seen him in any way was on the media or from a distance at public outings. He looked away. Was he really that out of touch? "She was….beautiful," was all he managed to say.

"Beautiful how? Did she have fair hair like you?"

Rufus shrugged. "Yes she did." Rufus let himself get lost in the thought of his late mother. "She always smiled, no matter what. She insisted I connect with the outside world, with the people the company served. She was a very intelligent woman. Always challenging me to think hard about the world and the part I would play in life. She was a wonderfully kind person, but I guess not good enough for my dad to not father two other children with two different women," he said bitterly.

Tifa was silent. She knew that there were other Shinra offspring that worked in the company, but she didn't quite know how Rufus felt about it.

Rufus drank in Tifa's silence. "I guess the world wasn't good enough for both our parents," he said.

Tifa nodded. "Taken too soon…." she said quietly.

Rufus shook his head. "I may not have ever met your father, but I can only imagine that he was a great person, having raised such a compassionate daughter," Rufus said finally.

Tifa breathed deeply and leaned up to pull the bandages off Rufus' face, the blanket falling off of her shoulders. The marks had healed nicely, she saw. She threw the bandages away and kissed him on the temple.

Rufus' eyes flew open as he felt the lips on his skin. He felt a heat rise to his cheeks and looked at her, dumbfounded. "What…..what was that for?" he asked.

Tifa giggled softly. "It's just….here I was trying to come in here, to try and make you feel better…but instead you did the same for me…."

Rufus felt a smile tug at his lips as he nodded in agreement.

Tifa lay her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes, wrapping the blanket around her more tightly once again as she did so. Rufus did not disturb her as he finished his food and placed the empty bowl at his side, and rested his head atop of hers, letting sleep take him as well. Perhaps he could try and speak with her about his release tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

_Tifa's vision was blurred. She blinked profusely, trying desperately to gain clarity. It was hot. So hot. The flames liked up around her as she held her dying father. "I hate them! Shinra. SOLDIER. I hate them all!"_ _she cried out. She looked up to see the silver-haired man hold up his long blade and impaled a man sitting at his desk, in the center of the inferno. The man collapsed forward, all life gone from his body. Tifa ran from her father's body to help the next victim, as the perpetrator turned away, leaving the sword still in the other man's chest, a smirk on his face. Tifa gently held the head of the man that was stabbed and turned it toward her. In her hands she held the face of none other than Rufus Shinra. Tifa cried in anguish. "I hate them! I hate them all! I hate them all!" she called._

"Tifa…Tifa! Wake up!" Rufus shook her roughly.

Tifa gasped as her eyes crashed open. She struggled to focus through her blurry eyes. She saw Rufus Shinra off to her left side, right arm around her right shoulder, and his other hand on her other shoulder. When she finally was able to get a clear look at the man beside her, she sighed in relief and became still and quiet, merely looking at Rufus.

Rufus looked back at her, her lips were slightly parted, but she did not say a word. He felt her gaze pierce through him, as if she couldn't see him. His brow furrowed, waiting for her to say something. "I think you were having a nightmare…" he said softly, not wanting to startle her. She had been trembling so violently before she opened her eyes. "You were mumbling I hate them all, I hate them all."

Tifa merely blinked. Her expression unmoving, she lifted her hands up to hold both sides of his face. Rufus saw that her eyes were glassy, as if she wanted to cry. Tifa brought Rufus' forehead to hers and held him there, the tears falling down her cheeks. "I thought you…." she began, not knowing what else to say.

"Thought I was what?" Rufus felt his heart flutter, unsure of how to respond to this unexpected contact.

Tifa shook her head lightly and pulled back slowly, still keeping his face in her hands. "Nothing…" she managed a weak smile. She slowly withdrew her hands and swung her legs from the cot. She walked up to and opened the door to the room and peeked outside. She saw the slats of the blinds from a far window letting in small rays of the morning light. She'd slept most of the night next to Rufus. Her neck felt stiff, leaning on his shoulder, but she felt better rested than she had in a long while, as if a weight was lifted from her heart. She turned back to look at Rufus who held a dazed expression. She didn't know if it was from the cold or not, but his cheeks held a slightly pink hue.

"I need to go back upstairs before they wake up," she explained as she took the blanket from Rufus. She leaned over the side of the bed to pick up the empty plate and bowl that must have dropped while the two of them slept. Rufus picked up that she was avoiding his gaze now. She ducked out of the room without another word.

Rufus exhaled deeply. He didn't realize how tense the situation made him feel. He really thought Tifa was in pain when he felt her jolt next to him. Was he actually worried for one of his captors? He had heard of Stockholm's Syndrome, when you begin to care for the people keeping you imprisoned. It had only been a few days though. In cases he'd read about, it usually happened over the course of several months, or years even.

He chewed his lower lip and looked at his conditions again. His captors consisted of a SOLDIER, a large brute with a gun for an arm and a young woman. But Tifa didn't seem like the other two. She was the only one to make it a point to come visit him every night and give him human food. They spoke last night about their early lives. Rufus could kick himself for revealing so much about his late mother, especially to one that _should_ be considered untrustworthy. Still, he never detected any malice from her. She risked her comrades' trust just to make sure he was comfortable. But he couldn't understand why she held his face in her soft hands after he had awoken her, and he felt the sting of the cold air when she pulled them away.

Not to mention she _kissed_ him. It had been a light peck on his temple, but it was a kiss. He wasn't sure what to make of that. She had said it was in gratitude for making her feel better, but how did he do that? Didn't women kiss men when they liked them? His only experience with such a thing in his adult life was with that wretched woman, Scarlet, who would sloppily make passes at him at parties. He was always aware of her intentions, and that was what made him easily stand up to and reject her advances. But he didn't know what Tifa was thinking, and that made him nervous.

He had wanted to speak with her about his release. The hours of solitude and the thoughts of his beloved company being run by a bunch of morons had made it impossible for him to relax. Tifa's lingering scent of lavender also clouded his thoughts. He hoped she was okay. She seemed so…scared.

Tifa had made it to her room quickly and quietly after putting Rufus' dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. She quietly shut the door behind her, took off her coat and threw the blanket on her bed. She plopped on the mattress with an audible _thump_ as she clutched the blanket to her closely, burying her face in the soft fabric. She tried to hold back her tears and keep her voice down. She thought the nightmares had stopped years ago. She couldn't remember the last time she awoke in such a state. No doubt the recollections she shared with Rufus jarred a few things loose.

Tifa bore her nails into the blanket at her face until her knuckles turned white. She could smell the faint scent of Rufus' musk on it. She felt almost embarrassed that he saw her that way. Doubly so that she was devastated at the thought of him being dead. When she heard the news of President Shinra's demise, she could only imagine what the scene must have looked like. She must have fallen back asleep for a moment because she was woken up by Cloud's rather rough knocking on the door. "Tifa!" he called from the other side.

"Come in," she called, a little groggy. She turned over and pulled the blanket up over her body.

Cloud came into the bedroom, followed by Barrett. Cloud took a seat next to Tifa as she lie on the bed while Barrett leaned against the dresser. "We need to act now," Cloud began.

Tifa sat up and leaned her back against the headboard. "What happened?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"We're not quite sure. We've been trying to contact Aerith and Marlene in Midgar all morning, but we're not able to establish two way communications." Cloud shook his head and muttered, "we should've brought them here with us…"

Neither Tifa nor Barrett, who heard him clearly, commented. Tifa was well aware that he wanted Aerith around. But Aerith wanted to stay in Midgar with Elmyra and Marlene. Tifa briefly wondered if Aerith were here, would she treat Rufus nicely as well? Of course she would. She would probably flirt with him and coax information out of him. She realized she was getting too deep in thought when she saw Cloud looking silently at the floor.

"So wha' happens now?" Barrett broke the silence.

"Well, we'll have to deliver terms sooner rather than later. We can make a trip out to Midgar and negotiate terms and then deliver him once an agreement has been reached. We can demand Shinra give us the necessary contact information and we'll set up our meeting." Cloud paused and thought a moment. "Two of us should go. One to keep watch and one to make terms." Cloud looked up at his teammates.

"I wanna go," Barrett said almost immediately. "I wanna see Marlene. Plus I've some choice words for those Shinra scum."

Cloud nodded and looked at Tifa and she lightly shook her head. "You need to go, Cloud. You're the leader of this group," she said.

Cloud pursed his lips. "I don't like the idea of you being alone with _him_ ," he said. "We'll be gone for at least five days. What if he tries something?"

"What's he going to do, Cloud? He's chained to a wall. And even if he gets free, where is going to go? He'll die if he tries to run out there."

"I don't mean that." Cloud hadn't forgotten about the way Tifa was trying to protect him from his attacks when he was first brought there. He also noticed that their stash of chocobo feed was largely untouched too, but he didn't mention it. He knew Tifa was just a compassionate person, he couldn't change that. He also knew Barrett would insist on going, and in truth he wanted to see Aerith and Marlene too.

"Cloud….what if _he_ really is back. What if he's over there now?"

Cloud immediately knew who _he_ was. "I'll talk to him," Cloud said getting up. Tifa and Barrett began to follow them outside of the room. He turned and looked at both of them. "Alone."

Rufus heard the footsteps outside of the door and straightened up in anticipation. He had been waiting for Tifa to come back so he could talk to her, but he was immediately disappointed when he saw the SOLDIER enter instead. He shut the door behind him. For the first time since he arrived, he was now nervous about what this man wanted to do with him. Now that his father was dead, he may not have any use for him now.

"Let's talk," Cloud said sharply. He kicked the chair in front of him and sat down, folding his arms. "Do you know what's going on?"

Rufus nodded. "President Shinra is dead," he responded, matching Cloud's tone.

"Good boy," he mocked. "Do you know how he died?"

"Apparently from a stab wound."

Cloud smirked. "Good. So you have been listening. So I imagine you have your own suspects."

Rufus leaned back and eyed the younger man. He looked tired, the kind of fatigued he commonly associated with short tempers. He recalled the way he heard him speaking with Tifa. But now was not the time to confront him with that. He may have been tired, but he also seemed a bit more relaxed today. Rufus may be able to speak to him about what he had hoped to discuss with Tifa. "Yes. The former first class SOLDIER…Sephiroth."

"Very good. You're more astute than you look."

"Well when you're deprived of everything but your senses, you learn to develop good listening habits." Rufus was surprised that his remark didn't net him another blow to the face. He was almost relieved.

"What do you remember about him?"

Rufus shrugged. "Not much. As I understood it, he was presumed dead after he disappeared into the mako reactor shortly after the destruction of your hometown." Rufus nearly bit his tongue off when the last words left his mouth. He wanted to kick himself for not thinking the phrase through. Tifa seemed to have loosened his tongue from their conversation last night.

If there was any shred of serenity in Cloud's demeanor, it was gone the moment Rufus ceased speaking. Cloud bolted up from the chair and towered over Rufus where he sat. " _My_ hometown. And just how do you know something like that?"

Rufus held his breath, trying desperately to think of something. "I've read the reports. The SOLDIER Cloud returning to his hometown on a mission with Sephiroth. I've known this whole time." It was a lie of course. There were next to no reports on the Nibelheim incident five years ago, and none of them certainly contained any names of the parties involved.

Cloud's nostrils flared. "What else has Tifa told you?" his voice was hauntingly quiet.

Rufus felt his heart race. Throwing Tifa into the wrath of the man before him was the last thing he wanted to do. "Nothing. All she does is bring me food."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What has she been feeding you?"

"That grotesque sludge not fit for human consumption." _Good, good, don't think about Tifa. Move away from the subject._

There was a momentary pause from Cloud as he looked over the young vice president. Cloud reached out a gloved hand and traced a finger over the front of his white suit. His eye caught the faint speck of red on the front flap. He held it between his two fingers and slightly lifted it to Rufus' eyes. "Oh really? What's this?"

Rufus moved his eyes to the small hint of dried chili sauce on his suit. It must have fallen while he ate last night. "Blood, no doubt from your previous interrogation methods."

"You're lying. She gave you that chili last night, didn't she?" Cloud didn't remember hearing Tifa come upstairs last night. True, she said she would come upstairs after she did the dishes, but Cloud was awake for a while after he went upstairs. He didn't hear her small footsteps for a couple of hours when he passed out.

"I swear it." Rufus knew he wasn't being convincing enough. He had to say more. He felt a sour taste in his mouth as he said, "Like I'd eat anything from that bitch anyway."

 _Now_ the blow from Cloud came crashing down into his abdomen. Cloud studied the grimace on his face and saw the bandages were gone from his face as well. "You bastard! She's probably the only person on this planet that isn't immediately disgusted by you and you dare speak of her in such a way?"

While the dull pain kept his breathing difficult and painful, he was massively relieved that Cloud took him seriously. He didn't want to speak of her in such a way, but he'd much rather Cloud be angry with him than with her. Once more, he couldn't help but hear the truth in Cloud's words. True, no one would tell him to his face, but he was no stranger to being universally hated by most around him. He couldn't remember the last time a smile was given him to that was real. Not until Tifa's last night.

"I need to be rid of you before I kill you myself." He roughly grabbed Rufus by the collar and forced him to look at his face. "We're going to negotiate terms with your people. Who are we to contact that will make this nice and smooth? Think carefully. Anyone that will give us any funny business will have to drag your corpse back to Midgar."

Rufus willed his breathing under control. "Tseng. He's my second in command," Rufus managed to choke out. He knew Scarlet and Heidegger would surely do everything in their power now to make sure he wouldn't return.

"One of your Turks? Yeah right. Like they'd let us go quietly."

"You must only talk to Tseng then." Rufus' breathing slowly returned to normal.

"How can we be assured of his cooperation?"

"…..Let me write a letter. He'll know it's from me. I'll order him to not tell anyone and speak only with you."

Cloud scoffed at first but thought it about a moment. Rufus probably wouldn't be able to tell him his location because he was bound the entire way. "Don't try anything funny, Shinra. You'll write no more than twenty words. Got it?"

Rufus merely nodded. "And his phone number."

Cloud came through the door and saw Tifa and Barrett sitting in the living room area of the cottage. Barrett had his arms folded while Tifa merely sat on the couch, looking at down at her legs. Both turned their attention as Cloud approached. "We'll be making our trip soon. Rich boy is going to give us a direct line with one contact at the company. We'll set up a meeting and negotiate terms. Tifa, you'll stay here. If we find out we're followed….." Cloud paused and lowered his voice, "…we'll send word back here, and you will execute him."

It took all of Tifa's will power not gasp. Her mouth did open wide though. "Execute him?" Tifa whispered back, making sure it would not travel past Rufus' door. "Cloud, that's going too far. We're not murderers, you know that. We weren't even planning on killing his father."

"We weren't planning on getting pretty boy either. The plans have changed. With the president dead, his kid is no real good to us now unless they agree to our terms," Cloud matched Tifa's breathy tone, also not wanting Rufus to overhear.

"Forget about us then! What about Sephiroth? If the company's in shambles, they're not going to get anything done to stop him. They need Rufus to bring stability. With him in power no one will challenge him outright. He can lead the company to stop Sephiroth." Tifa couldn't believe what she was saying. As if she had any real inclination of how Shinra Company worked. She didn't bother asking Rufus about what his presence in the company was actually worth.

"What makes you think he'd even care about going after him? Tifa, just leave it to us and do as you're told. Maybe a little bit of chaos will do some good. Leave Sephiroth to me. We have some unfinished business."

Tifa leaned back and rolled her eyes. She was too emotionally drained from the breakdown that morning to argue with him. Maybe the contact at the company will allow them to deliver Rufus safely. She could only hope. She turned to Barrett, hoping he wouldn't say anything in favor of killing Rufus. Thankfully, he didn't, but she knew he was thinking of it.

 _Tseng, you are hereby ordered to negotiate terms for my safe return. Do not inform anyone else. You are to speak only to him. ~Rufus Shinra_

Rufus looked at the small note he scribbled as Cloud stood over him. He had taken almost an hour to return with a small piece of paper and a pen. "Twenty-six words," Rufus said. Hope that's okay," he said wryly.

Cloud snatched the paper out of his hand and looked the note over. He saw that Rufus underlined 'do not inform anyone else.' "And the phone number?" he demanded.

Rufus read the number out loud and Cloud wrote it down on another sheet of paper. "It's his direct line. Keep your calls to less than half a minute and it can't be traced." Truthfully Rufus wanted to lie and say under one minute, but he didn't want to see Cloud make good on his threats to kill him if his Turks gave him any issue. "Tell him you have me, give him a designated location and that he must go alone-"

"I'll handle this myself, thank you," Cloud spat. "We'll set out soon." Cloud leaned in close to Rufus, looking directly in his eyes. Rufus saw the mako-laced gaze burn with fury. His voice was barely a whisper. "If you do anything to hurt Tifa, all bets are off. I'll come here and smash your head against the wall and mail you back to Midgar piece by piece." Rufus met his gaze defiantly but did not respond. When he didn't, Cloud backhanded Rufus across the jaw just for good measure.

Rufus recovered from the blow, but kept his head down so Cloud would think he was knocked out. This was the only way Rufus could hide his _own_ wrath. _"_ Now _he cares about her enough to defend her honor and health? What does he know about respecting Tifa? First he scolds and yells at her then he's making threats if I hurt her?"_ Rufus grit his teeth at the thought and tasted the faint coppery tang on his lips as a small trickle of blood fell down the corner of his mouth, landing on his sleeve. Why was he feeling so protective of her all of a sudden?

Cloud looked at Rufus, waiting for him to lift his head up again, but he didn't. Cloud smirked and lightly shook his head. "Lightweight," he said as he left, closing the door behind him.

Cloud and Barrett finished packing up the last of their things to prepare for the trip. Tifa stood outside with them to see them off. All were dressed in their cold weather clothing. "I checked the food rations, you should be good for at least another two weeks," said Cloud as Barrett was hauled up the last of the bags in the buggy. "We'll be taking the buggy down the mountain so you won't be able to go down until we return. If you run into trouble, use the emergency radio. There's some flares in the bedroom too. Use them if you need to."

Tifa nodded. Although she took in Cloud's words, her mind still lingered about the dream she had that morning. If only Cloud could know the devastating sight she recalled of their hometown in flames, destroyed by Sephiroth. And then to know that he may be _alive_. The thought scared her more than she wanted to admit. "I'll be fine," was all she could manage to say.

"Don't talk to him," Cloud told her with a stern face. "I don't want him knowing too much about you. I'm sure he'd love to use it against you in any way he can."

Tifa nodded again. She had told him a lot the previous night. She told him about her hometown and her father. But he shared things with her too and she didn't believe he was lying. Moreover none of what they told each other would advantage the other in any way. Tifa was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Cloud coming over to hug her until his arms were around her. It was a light hug and Tifa could feel his warmth, but he felt so stiff to her. Tifa returned the hug but she didn't seem to fit quite right in his arms. "I'll be back soon. I promise," Cloud put a hand on her shoulder. Tifa managed a weak smile. She hugged Barrett as well and then watched them drive off down the mountain. She watched intently as she saw the buggy disappear from view and hesitantly walked back indoors.

She tried to distract herself by making sure the cottage hearth had a fire going, but other than that, she couldn't help but not wish she was talking to Rufus. She felt strangely comforted when he held her that morning. She wanted to thank him, but she wasn't sure for what. After all, all he did was wake her up from a bad dream, there was nothing special about that. She opened the door and saw Rufus sitting on the cot, head down and hands in his lap. He looked up and saw Tifa, the line of blood having since dried after Cloud left.

Tifa rushed over when she saw this and gently turned his head so she could inspect the injury more closely. "Are you okay?" she asked weakly.

Rufus only nodded. Tifa licked the side of her thumb and wiped the dry blood from the side of his chin and his lip, now slightly puffed from the blow. "I'll get you something for that." Tifa turned and ran to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of frozen peas. Despite being surrounded by snow and ice, she knew nothing would work better for such an injury. When she returned, she held it to his face with her hand. She used her other hand to take Rufus' and guide it up to the bag so he could hold it into place. She held her hand over his and didn't release it, even after Rufus' hand stayed.

Tifa looked at his face. His eyes seemed so distant, as if he was in another place. She leaned back slightly and looked over Rufus. His face still held the small cuts and bruises from the injuries he sustained from Cloud's interrogation. He had dark circles under his eyes and matted hair from not being able to bathe. Tifa was thankful that it was cold here, lest he sweat and stew in his own filth for the past few days. Still, days without a shower were not favorable no matter the climate.

"Rufus," Tifa said softly. Rufus blinked and focused his vision on Tifa. He looked back at her eyes. "Do you want to take a shower?"

Rufus was a bit taken aback. "How can I do that?" he lightly shook his wrist holding up the bag of frozen peas, the chain that held him to the wall jingled slightly.

Tifa paused. She knew she was going against Cloud's orders and their entire plan but she knew Rufus didn't deserve this. Even if he didn't care of his father, there was no denying that he was now the last legitimate Shinra left in this world. Not to mention their unintended hostage was being treated more and more brutally by Cloud. Though she didn't know the exact exchange between the two blond men, she wondered what Rufus said to make Cloud treat him so. "I'll let you." She averted her gaze shyly.

"You'd do that for me? You'll let me out of this room?"

Tifa looked back at his eyes, a sudden spark flared in her own. "To shower, yes. I'll let you move about this place. But just remember, it's an entire day's trip on foot to the nearest town and you'll likely freeze to death if you run. There's no weapons in here either so you better not-"

"I won't do anything," Rufus cut her off. "I promise. I just want to be able to stand again."

Tifa nodded. "I'll have to put you back in here come bed time."

Rufus nodded. "I understand." Rufus felt was feeling slightly excited. He'd finally be able to step out of this room. "Your colleagues won't be mad?"

Tifa looked down. She didn't want to tell him that they were completely alone for at least the next five days, thought he probably would have suspected as much. "Leave that to me."

Tifa withdrew her hands from Rufus' as he continued to hold the bag to his face. "Thank you, Tifa," he said softly. He was growing quite weary of being beaten by Cloud and was thankful of Tifa's presence. True, he wanted to find a way to escape, but he was too weary from being locked up to think about anything else aside from being able to take a bath. Tifa left the room once again and returned with a key. She turned the small key and instantly the weight from Rufus' wrist fell away as he continued to hold the bag to the side of his mouth. She turned her attention to the other hand, and it too was free from its bounds.

Rufus was hesitant to move. Part of him was paranoid that Cloud was waiting outside of the door, testing Tifa's loyalty and his obedience. What if he'd actually hurt her too this time? _"Not while Rufus is in the house!"_ the thoughts echoed with him again. How much trouble did he cause good women around him just because they were concerned with his well being?

"Are you sure he's not here?" Rufus asked.

Tifa's lips parted in dismay. "I'm sure. It's just us now."

Rufus used his free hand to push himself from the wall that had become his prison for the past few days. He felt for the floor with his feet and slowly began to put his weight down. He tried to stand upright but he faltered slightly. Tifa came up behind him and propped his arm around her shoulder. Rufus still clutched the frozen bag to the side of his mouth while his other arm was supported by Tifa. Rufus' legs felt like jelly as he tried to get them to move forward. Tifa and Rufus slowly emerged from the door. Rufus tightened his grip on Tifa's shoulder as he left his small, enclosed world and entered an entirely new one.

 _A/N_

 _Hey folks, just wanted to say thanks for reading! I've been monitoring the traffic of views and I'm quite impressed and pleased that so many of you have taken the time to read my story. If you have time, please drop a review. They keep me motivated. Also this story is a lot longer than I planned it to be. I was only planning on making it around three chapters, but it seems to have taken a life of its own. Hope you guys are enjoying the long haul._

 _~Zeldafreak701_


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing Rufus noticed when he left the small room was the kitchen area, then past it the living room area where a live fire burned brightly in a brick hearth. He could feel its warmth even from the distance he was at, albeit faintly. Between the two areas on his left was the door that led to the outside world, its window letting in faint slats of light. He looked to his right and saw the first steps of a winding staircase. He didn't realize it until he started moving his head, but his neck still felt stiff, like the rest of him.

"We're going upstairs," Tifa said, nodding her chin toward the steps. "That's where you'll shower."

Rufus nodded. He moved he began to put more weight on his legs and felt the life suddenly start to seep back into them. "I think I can manage to take the stairs alone." He slowly removed his arm from Tifa's comforting stability and grasped for the railing nailed to the wall, still holding the bag of frozen peas to his face.

"I'll be right behind you."

Rufus turned and made his way upstairs. He knew Tifa was being cautious. She seemed a bit more rigid in her stance when he reached for the railing. He couldn't blame her, what she was doing was rather foolish, allowing the captor to almost move freely about his prison. While he knew he could probably overpower her easily, despite his weakened state, he had to weigh his options based on what Tifa and Cloud told him. If there indeed was only snow for miles from where they were, he couldn't hope to move through that terrain to find help without dying.

More still, unless he tied Tifa to something, she would come after him and not be as forgiving as she was now. _"And what if I do tie her up and I wind up dying? She'd be left here by herself with no hope to for rescue and probably starve to death,"_ Rufus thought to himself. He certainly didn't want Tifa to die, especially for his sake. There was also a radio that was able to get a signal; maybe he could communicate with that. Then what though? If word got back to her comrades that he was allowed to use it, it could be the death of both of them.

No. He would have to wait for Tseng to do his job. He placed a lot of faith in his lead Turk and even more in the spikey haired SOLDIER and large brute. He made it to the top of the stairs, Tifa following close behind him. He was met with a long hallway, two doors on each side and a mirror at the very end. He could see his reflection from the distance and saw that he looked a mess. "Second door on the right," Tifa told him. Rufus nodded and opened the door and saw a full bed and a dresser as well as another door. Tifa came up behind him. "Through that door is the bathroom you can use. I'll wait out here." She took the bag of frozen peas away from him.

Rufus walked through the door and saw a modest bathroom. It was a light green color, an ugly one at that, complete with matching towels. But it had a toilet and shower, all he had wanted to see for the past couple of days. Rufus looked at himself in the mirror more closely, under the ceiling light of the bathroom, as he stripped off his clothes. He didn't just look like a mess, he looked like complete _garbage_. Without his suit on, he saw that he had lost some weight. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was oily, and his face held numerous injuries from Cloud's brutal handling of him, the freshet wound being a slightly busted lip on one side. He felt embarrassed that Tifa saw him like this. He was the vice president of the Shrinra Company and was supposed to be the picture of pristine health and power. He was none of those things now.

He used the toilet and then drew the shower curtain back. He started the faucet and turned it to the hottest setting, more aware of the cold around him now that his clothing was shed. The water spurted out and he waiting patiently to see the steam finally rise from the tub. Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he stepped in and drew the curtain behind him. When he felt the hot water drench him, he sat down and let the heat envelope him in unbridled comfort. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

Outside of her bathroom, Tifa cranked up her heater and dressed in her normal day attire, tossing the bag of frozen peas to the top of the dresser. She looked at her discarded clothes and knew she had to do her laundry soon. The thought made her turn her head toward the bathroom door. She knew a bath wouldn't do Rufus much good if he was just going to get dressed in soiled clothing again. She took a deep breath and felt the handle of the doorknob. She could see the steam seep through the crack beneath the door. Knowing he was in the shower now, she slowly opened the door and reached for the discarded clothing. She closed the door behind her slowly and ran downstairs to put them in the washing machine.

While the clothes were being washed, she went to the door and bolted it tight, locking it so no one could get inside or out without the key. She did the same to the windows as well. While she didn't believe Rufus would try to run, at least not immediately, she still held the reality in the back of her mind that he _was_ a hostage and couldn't be given the chance to escape.

She felt guilty again as she knew she was probably allowing him too much freedom now, but what's done is done. She had spent almost a week at the cottage by herself until Cloud and Barrett returned, with only a few, short conversations with Aerith on the radio kept her company. The signal was shaky at best and it only frustrated her when she had to continually ask Aerith to repeat what she just said. Cloud didn't seem to mind though, as he seemed to spend many a time on the radio with her, static and all.

Tifa sighed. Aerith truly was something special, making Cloud smile in ways Tifa had never seen before. Tifa shook her head. She didn't like being alone with her thoughts because they always inevitably came back to those two. How lucky it must be for them to find such comfort in one another. _"Is that why I keep going to talk to him?"_ Tifa thought about Rufus. _"Is that why I am giving so many freedoms? Because he made me feel safe this morning?"_

Tifa heard the loud ding from the washer and quickly transferred the clothes to the dryer. The load was small so it wouldn't take long to completely dry. She double checked the reinforcements of the windows and doors, including the ones upstairs and went back to her room. She sat on the bed and looked toward her closed bathroom door. She heard the continual sound of water being run. He was like to waste all of the hot water with the time he was spending in there, but she didn't want to rush him. His time in there would give her time to finish washing his clothes.

She leaned back on her bed and looked at the ceiling, letting her thoughts run over her current situation. _"Rufus Shinra is in my bathroom and is completely_ naked. _"_ Tifa thought, a heat going up to her cheeks. She had to admit, despite the fatigue and brutality that plagued him these past few days, he was still very handsome. His fair hair reminded her of Cloud's. But while Cloud's hair was more platinum shade of blond, Rufus' was more gold, like the sun beams that would shine through the blinds every morning. And then there were his haunting azure eyes. She saw them change shades when he spoke. They grew darker when he was angry and shined brightly when spoke of his mother. They were so blue and deep, Tifa almost didn't believe they were natural.

She shook her head. Why was she thinking about him so much? Tifa resolved that she should probably distance herself from Rufus. Cloud specifically instructed her not to let him know anything about her yet she did anyway. She would have to try and not speak to him much more beyond taking care of his basic needs.

She didn't know how long she had been lying there, but she heard the ding from the dryer downstairs and stumbled out of bed to retrieve the clothing.

Rufus felt the temperature of the water drop rapidly which jogged him out of his stupor. He realized he spent much too long in the shower, but he wasn't sure if he would be put back in his prison chamber as soon as he left. However he could take a cold shower in a snow covered cottage, or go back to being chained to a wall by a beautiful woman; an easy enough choice.

He turned off the water and reached for his towel from behind the curtain. He dried himself off quickly, and ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't used any soap but the hot water had rinsed the layer of grime off of him. He felt like a new man as he wrapped the towel around his waist. With a sigh of relief, he opened the shower curtain and saw that his clothes were missing. He sucked the air back into him in a gasp.

Rufus looked back and forth rapidly, thinking that he might have put them somewhere else and forgot. The room held the steam of the hot water enclosed and it was hard to see, but he knew a heap of clothing didn't just disappear. He quickly reached for the door to the bedroom.

As Tifa entered her bedroom she saw the bathroom door swing open. She was greeted to the sight of the half naked vice president outlined in a frame of steam and a towel around his waist, a look of panic on his face. Tifa blushed and held the folded clothes in front of her face to shield her eyes. "I suppose you're looking for these," Tifa's muffled voice came from behind the clothing.

Rufus exhaled deeply at the sight. He usually had his clothes sent out for dry cleaning and he was weary of the idea of his pristine suit being washed in such a way. He tightened the towel around him and slowly pulled the clothes away from Tifa. When he had them in his hands, he saw that Tifa had her eyes clamped tightly shut. He almost chuckled at the sight. He looked down at his clothes. They were neatly folded and held the pure white color that he was used to seeing. The material looked to have held up well in the wash too. She even got the red stains out.

"Thank you, Tifa," Rufus managed to say. "You certainly didn't have to do this."

Tifa turned around and shut the door, bolting it shut. She turned back around, her small hands covering her eyes. "You're welcome. Now get dressed."

Rufus dropped the towel to the floor with an audible thump. He could see the red in her cheeks grow deeper at the realization that behind her hands and eyelids, Rufus Shinra stood in all of his naked glory. He dressed back into his suit while looking at Tifa, reveling in the thought that he could reduce her to a blushing, shy mess. She looked adorable while she cowered in fear of the naked male form. He elongated the task so he could drink in Tifa's shaking form. She was dressed in the same tight black skirt and white top she always seemed to wear. He didn't forget the small glimpse of white he saw beneath that skirt previosly. He quickly pulled his pants up to hide the tangible evidence of his current thoughts.

He buttoned his coat walked toward Tifa. He gently grabbed her left wrist and slowly pulled it away from her eyes. She opened up one eye and saw that Rufus was completely clothed. She moved her other hand away from her face and turned her attention to Rufus' grasp on her. He stepped back, not wanting her to think he was trying to harm her.

"Feel better?" she asked, her flushed cheeks slowly receding back to their normal hue.

"Immensely. I suppose you'll have to take me back to my room now," Rufus replied.

Tifa slowly nodded her head. "Yes. I'll let you out once more before I go to sleep to let you use the bathroom if you need to."

Rufus nodded in reply. Tifa opened the door and waved Rufus through. Rufus walked down the stairs and through the living room and kitchen, back to the entrance of his old room. He felt anxiety set in, as he didn't want to be chained up again. Tifa was behind him gently nudged him in. Rufus sat down on the cot and Tifa closed the door behind her, locking it.

She reached for the chains but Rufus put up his hands defensively. "Tifa…please…" he began. "I don't want to be chained up. I won't try to run. If was going to try anything I would have done it by now. I'll stay in here and I won't try to harm you."

Tifa was taken slightly aback by his words. She looked into his eyes and saw a faint glimmer in them. They were so still. Tifa held their gaze for a long moment and finally sighed as she dropped the chains. "Very well. I'm going to make some food," she responded. "I'll be right back."

Rufus breathed a sigh of relief. Not having chains on his wrists would allow him to stand up and walk about the confined space at the very least. He knew that what Tifa was doing was very dangerous. Despite the fact he would not attack her, allowing him free movement in his 'cell' so to speak wasn't very wise, especially if she was alone. Rufus lied down on his cot and recounted the day's events.

He woke up with Tifa on his shoulder, trembling violently muttering how she hated 'them' all. Then she held his face to hers and she wept. He didn't like to recall the thought. He didn't like seeing her upset but couldn't place why. Then after that Cloud fellow roughed him up, she came back and held his face in her hands once again and temporarily released him from his prison cell. Why did the thought of her doing so make his heart race? Did Tifa have some sort of affection for him? Rufus felt the swollen part of his mouth and the dull pain that radiated from it. She had brought him frozen vegetables to help reduce the swelling, and it did, but the heat from the shower made it feel puffy again.

Rufus turned his thoughts to the SOLDIER and Tifa again. Tifa didn't seem new to all of these happenings: injuries and condescending attitudes. Did Cloud usually yell at Tifa after she had helped dress his wounds? Did Cloud ever thank her for what she has done for him? Rufus thanked her. He thanked more than he possibly ever thanked anyone else. And Tifa deserved it. Rufus shook his head at the thought of that woman doing so much for someone that wasn't even grateful. _"Bastard…"_ Rufus thought, _"Not good enough for the woman that gives so much…just like my old man."_ He desperately wanted to know just how she really viewed Cloud.

Rufus had half expected Tifa to come in at least once before she brought dinner later, but she didn't. He stretched on his cot and tried to fall asleep once again. Knowing that it was just Tifa and him in the cottage put him a bit more ease. At least with the knowledge that Cloud or the other man would not return at any second to abuse him some more was comforting. He shut his eyes and turned to his side, something his newly freed wrists allowed him to do.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he heard Tifa enter and shut the door behind her. She held a large bowl in her hands and held it out to Rufus as he sat up. Rufus yawned and grabbed for the food. "Thank you," he said, groggily. Tifa merely nodded and turned to leave. "Wait," Rufus called. Tifa stopped moving but didn't turn around. "I don't much care for eating alone…will you…join me?"

Tifa was hesitant. Already she had gotten comfortable with him, yet she still didn't know what to say after she almost saw him completely naked today. That and his now freed hands could be perceived as a threat. She slowly turned around and matched her red eyes to his azure ones. "Y-you want me to join you?" she asked.

Rufus smiled. "Yes. Haven't you for the past couple of nights?"

Tifa's inquisitive expression softened. "Oh…yeah, o-okay. I'll be right back." Tifa turned around and left the room, and then came back with her own bowl.

Rufus noticed Tifa only stood by the door clutching her food so he patted the space on the cot next to him. "Sit," he said calmly.

Tifa took a seat next to Rufus, keeping a small distance between her and him. She didn't want to say anything, for fear of giving more about herself away. Still there was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air, and she didn't want to be left alone to her thoughts. "It's nothing special tonight. Just vegetables and rice." Tifa didn't want to tell him that she would have to start rationing out the food more diligently now that Cloud and Barrett were gone with the buggy.

Rufus was thankful for softer food. "It's not a worry. After your friend's latest damage it will be easier on my jaw."

"I'm sorry Cloud did all these things to you. I wouldn't feel as bad if it was happening to our intended target but…as they say, the best laid plans…"

Rufus chuckled and slowly shook his head in an irritated way. As much as he loved the idea of his father getting brutalized much worse than he did, he couldn't help but notice that Tifa was always apologetic on the SOLDIER's behalf. "Why do you apologize for him? Is he not your leader and ally? Why not stand behind him?"

Tifa contemplated the question. "There's a time and a place for everything, Rufus. Being his ally has not made me lose sight of what's right and wrong. AVALANCE is not what it used to be. We have principals. _I_ have principles. If we had captured your father like we planned I would stand behind Cloud and his actions all the way." Tifa looked at her bowl and took a bite from it.

"Even when he yells at you so?"

Tifa stopped chewing her food for a moment. She swallowed her mouthful and looked up at Rufus. "He gets frustrated, like everyone else does. Why do you care?" Tifa began to suspect Rufus' line of questioning. Was he trying to turn her against Cloud? She started to feel defensive.

Rufus tore his gaze away from her. "I don't like the way he talks to you," he said plainly. "I've heard him through the door when I was first brought here. Why does a leader speak to his ally like that? Speak to a woman like that? A woman that bends over backwards for something she believes in?"

Tifa blinked. She began to suspect that his motives for his questions weren't to try and turn her against Cloud, but for something else. "Are you…worried about me?" she asked in disbelief.

Rufus looked back at her. "No. Well…yes. I mean, you seem to have the most level head out of your group and you're scolded for it. And you take it lying down it seems. Why is that? Why don't you stand up for yourself more?"

"Cloud is my dearest friend. I know how he is. He hasn't done anything malicious to me."

"He's never hurt you?"

"No. He's never struck me once."

Rufus' mouth turned into a hard line. "That's now what I'm asking. Did he ever _hurt_ you?"

Tifa's eyes flashed a shade darker, Rufus could see when he turned his head. "No," Tifa told him defiantly. "He's never hurt me."

"…..Good." Rufus turned away from her and began to eat from his bowl.

Tifa exhaled the breath she was holding, not even realizing she was holding her breath. She turned back to her own bowl and ate as well. "I do find it odd that you are worried about me."

Rufus shrugged. "Why? You're worried about me. If it wasn't for you I'd be a lot more miserable. Yet here I am, dining with a lovely criminal."

Tifa chuckled. "Yes, two words that work so well together…." Tifa paused. "I'm sorry about this morning…If I made you uncomfortable." Tifa had wanted to avoid the subject of their contact that morning but felt the need to thank Rufus for his comfort.

"What was it that frightened you so?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said flatly. "Not yet."

"I don't mean to pry. I just don't want to see you the way I did this morning again."

Tifa didn't want Rufus to see her that way either. "You're one to talk," she said humorously. "I almost saw you in nothing but your skin." While the experience made her uncomfortable, she didn't want him to gain the upper hand.

Rufus laughed. "Almost." Despite the tense moment before, Rufus felt himself relax for the first time in a while. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Tifa smirked. "Yes you did. Otherwise you would've gotten dressed in the bathroom."

Rufus smiled. "I'm _mostly_ sorry." Tifa returned the smile and Rufus' heart began to race. Every time he saw her beam he felt a rush of heat spread throughout him. His thoughts turned to his previous musings. If Tifa didn't feel affection for him, was it him that felt affection for her? Is that why his body stirred at the sight of her in a provocative stance? There was no doubting that she attractive. She was slender and had full breasts that her clothing did little to hide. It was only natural that he and any other heterosexual male would react the same way. But there was something else. He simply liked having her around and looked forward to their brief meetings. It took a lot just to _ask_ her to stay when he saw her leaving.

Tifa finished her bowl and placed it on the floor, leaning back up to sit on the cot. "Apology accepted."

"Might I make a request for tomorrow's dinner?" Tifa tilted her head up to hear the request. "Can I have another one of those peanut butter sandwiches?"

Tifa tilted back. "You sure do like those, don't you? Why is that? I would think you'd have a taste for finer things, like steak or soufflés."

Rufus finished his bowl and nodded. "Try foie gras and caviar. Both are great but you develop a hatred for anything you have too much of. Plus I can't remember that last time I had peanut butter. It must have been years ago….when my mother was around." Rufus surmised that the previous nights' conversation brought the memory back to light.

Tifa placed an arm on his shoulder. "She used to make them? Madame First Lady Shinra made peanut butter sandwiches for her little Rufus?"

"Yes, usually for picnics when she managed to tear me away from my old man or my tutors." Rufus didn't mention the severe verbal and sometimes physical lashing his mother would get when their excursions were found out by his father. He wanted to keep the mood light. "After I left Nibelheim there were no more peanut butter sandwiches for me."

Tifa knew what 'after I left Nibelheim meant,' after his mother passed. "As much as I miss Nibelheim, I know if I go back it won't be the same," Tifa spoke softly. "Nothing is ever going to be the same. Memories are sometimes the only thing you can hold onto. But don't lose sight of the chance to make new memories." Rufus nodded in agreement. "More than anything I want the world to have stability and peace, so that innocents don't need to get wrapped up in powerful leaders' affairs." She paused. "What about you? What do you want now more than anything?"

Rufus shrugged. "Well I should think it's quite obvious, but I know you can't grant me that now."

Tifa knew he wanted his freedom to return to Junon or Midgar to run his company. "What else?"

Rufus looked at the door. He was hesitant, but it couldn't hurt to answer Tifa's question. "I want…to go outside…"

Tifa almost jumped. She too had wanted to go outside again, but didn't for fear that not being in the cottage while Cloud and Barrett were there would net Rufus more injuries. "Outside in the snow? And do what?"

"Just…go." Rufus was almost embarrassed to admit that he had never been out in the snow for someone that was supposed to be well travelled. Sure, he had flown over snow capped areas numerous times, but he was never allowed to go to, what his father considered, 'dangerous wastelands.' "If there's nothing but snow for miles, I'm not like to run away. And you can be with me the whole time." Rufus felt excitement of the prospect of being outside with Tifa.

Tifa chewed her lip. She wasn't necessarily scared that Rufus would escape. She was scared that if he _did_ escape, he would have nowhere to go and die out there. It all came down to if he believed her and Cloud when they told him there really _was_ nothing but snow for miles. After the surreal dream of Rufus being killed when she could have protected him made her stomach churn. "I'll think about it." Tifa swung off the cot and took the two plates. "I'll bring your blanket in just a moment."

Tifa walked through the door and bolted it behind her. She put the dishes in the sink and went upstairs to grab the blanket the two of them were wrapped up in last night. Was she seriously considering letting him go outside? Her hostage? Her team's hostage? True, she had already done so much allowing him to leave the room, even if for just a shower. There was no telling when Cloud and Barrett were going to come back and she was certain they were not going to be spotted by the two of them.

As Tifa reached for the blanket on her bed, she heard a jumbled signal coming from the radio in Cloud and Barrett's room. "Hello? Is anyone there? Cloud? Barrett?" Aerith's small voice came through.

Tifa ran into the room and picked up the communicator. "Yes, Aerith, this is Tifa. I can hear you," Tifa spoke.

"Oh thank goodness! I've been trying to establish a signal the past couple of days! Are Cloud or Barrett there too?"

"No, they left this morning to negotiate terms with the company for Rufus' return."

"This morning? That's good. Any idea how long they'll get here? It's complete chaos over here!"

"Should take a couple of days, maybe they'll arrive by late tomorrow if they book it. What do you mean chaos?"

"Ever since President Shinra died there's been a major power struggle with the higher ups in the company. It seems half of them don't want Rufus to be found while the other half is scrambling frantically to find him. Just today we had four separate visits from Shinra personnel illegally searching our homes trying to get information and clues."

"Is Marlene okay? They're not scaring her are they?"

"No, Marlene is fine. When they come to the door we both hide in a small crevasse in the wall. I tell her it's a game and she isn't upset. They haven't found us yet and Elmyra gives them straight answers. But we need to hurry and complete whatever it is we're going to do. Once word of that the killer may be Sephiroth went around, there's been widespread panic and a demand that Shinra do something about it. But without any clear leader, nothing's going to get done!"

"It'll be okay, Aerith. Cloud and Barrett are on their way now to negotiate terms. Hopefully they'll come to an agreement soon."

"I hope…." there was a mess of static noise. "Cloud is…." The signal faded.

"Aerith? Hello?!" The static continued until it turned into dead air again. Tifa sighed. The signal was lost again. She wasn't comfortable with the idea of her teammates being in the middle of all of that madness. She also contemplated telling Rufus. He needed to assume his role so the company could focus on finding and stopping Sephiroth if was indeed alive, if Rufus would even focus on that. Perhaps there could be a way to persuade him. Tifa retrieved the blanket and went back downstairs.

When she unlocked the door and opened it to find Rufus in mid stretch. "Hello," he said casually. Tifa handed him the blanket and he draped it about his shoulders. He could feel the cold from the evening set in and was grateful for the extra layer. "It's not as nice without having a lovely companion to share it with."

Tifa giggled and rolled her eyes, momentarily forgetting the dire news Aerith just laid on her. "Oh stop," she said. "Do you need to go to the bathroom? Because I won't be back until the morning."

Rufus shook his head. "I'm fine for now." Rufus contemplated asking her to stay a while longer, but Tifa looked distracted by something and thought better of it. "See you in the morning." He lowered himself on the cot, wrapped up in his thick blanket.

"Good night," Tifa said to him softly as she shut the door. Rufus could hear the door bolt before hearing her small footsteps scurry away.


	6. Chapter 6

Tifa slowly let her ruby eyes open to the morning that greeted her. She had slept soundly through the entire night, no nightmares to bother her this time. She stretched and rolled on her side to look at her clock. _"Eleven thirty..."_ she read. She bolted upright. "Eleven thirty!" she shouted to herself as she leapt out of bed. She rushed downstairs and swiftly opened Rufus' room, finding him sitting uncomfortably.

"Rufus! I'm so sorry!" she shouted. She pulled him by the arm and led him to the half bathroom that was downstairs. "Go on ahead." She heard Rufus' clothes shuffle and heard his sigh of relief from the other side of the door. "I overslept," she said meekly from the her side of the door.

"I take it you didn't have any bad dreams then?" he replied.

Tifa smiled faintly. "Not this time." Tifa heard the toilet flush and waited for Rufus to come out. When he did, Tifa pulled him by the arm and sat him down at the table in the kitchen. "I think you earned yourself some breakfast."

Rufus complied and took a seat at the wooden table and saw the slightly splintered dent he heard Cloud make when he was first brought here. He watched as Tifa moved about the kitchen in her warm, black night clothes and bare feet. Her hair was slightly messy and she still held a sleeper's face. "So what's on the menu today?" Rufus asked.

"Eggs and toast. A peasant's breakfast," she chuckled. "And since you've been such a good hostage, I'll let you eat at the table with me."

"What an honor," he smiled.

While the bread was in the toaster and the eggs were on the stove, Tifa opened up the blinds to one of the windows. He couldn't see clearly outside with the slight fog on the window, but the light illuminated the small cottage. Tifa wiped away some of the condensation with her hand and peered out side. She then turned around and, with the light behind her, flashed a smile at Rufus. He felt his heart skip a beat. Even with a slight bed head and not so flattering night outfit, she was still so beautiful and cheery.

Tifa set up the two plates and set them down on the table. Sitting across from Rufus, she and he ate their breakfast. "There's some fresh powder on the ground," she said in between bites. Rufus looked up from his food with an intrigued expression. "But you'll see that for yourself soon."

Rufus couldn't hide his happy expression. "You mean it?" he said breathily.

Tifa nodded. "I think it's the least I can do, making you wait all morning for me to come down." Rufus could barely contain himself. There were seldom times where he looked forward to the immediate future. Up until now his whole life was work, work, work, and now he could taste a small measure of freedom, both from his captivity and his job. Tifa took note of Rufus' demeanor. "Is everything okay?"

"It's just…why are you being so nice to me? Since I've got here you've treated me so well. Aren't you scared of I might try something? Does that ever cross your mind when you're close to me?" Rufus didn't mean to bring to light all of his suspicions, especially if it would only serve to put Tifa's guard up and see him less. But he didn't think it fair if he didn't at least put these thoughts in her head for the future.

Tifa chuckled and lifted her red eyes to meet Rufus'. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried," she said matter-of-factly, putting another bite of eggs in her mouth.

Rufus was taken aback by her response. "Excuse me?" he said playfully. "I'm not as weak as I look."

"Neither am I." She winked.

Rufus saw something new in Tifa in that moment. It was as if for the first time he was seeing her spirit, a strong spirit. He wondered if it unleashed a bit since the SOLDIER wasn't around to tamp it down. "So what if I tried to escape right now? Knock you out and open the front door?"

Tifa finished up her plate and leaned back in chair. She noticed that Rufus was not being threatening but curious. "Fine. Assuming you'd even get that far, which you wouldn't, then what? As I've told you numerous times it's dangerous terrain out there for miles."

"A communicator. I'm sure you have one up here. I definitely hear a radio."

"Radio only goes one way and the communicator only has one frequency which goes to our contact in Midgar. If you start talking to her, it'd only be a matter time before Cloud comes back to…" she made swiping motion with her hand in front of her neck. "So you can either run out and die by the elements, or you can stay and die by Cloud…or me if you tried anything." There wasn't a hint of malice in her voice, but Rufus felt she was not kidding despite her playful tone.

Rufus nodded and smiled inwardly that he confirmed his earlier considerations about his escape attempts. "Fair enough. I give you my word that I will not try anything, though I must say I am quite curious to see you in action now."

Tifa shrugged. "Maybe one day." She smiled and Rufus returned the expression. She gestured Rufus to stand and led him back to the door of his room. "Just for good measure….as I need to get dressed." Rufus nodded in understanding.

"Wait, I'm not done with breakfast," he said. Tifa grabbed the plate and handed it him and closed the door to his room. "Thanks!" Rufus' voice came from the other side of the door.

Tifa went upstairs and dressed in her outdoor clothing: her tight black pants and long black double breasted coat. She brushed her hair quickly, wondering why she cared about her appearance for an outdoor excursion. She slipped on her outdoor boots and gloves and went to retrieve Rufus. He looked her up and down when she opened the door. _"Even in layers she still sports an immaculate figure,"_ he thought. "I look a bit underdressed for the weather compared to you," he mentioned.

"You'll be fine. The sun's out right now so your coat will suffice," Tifa replied as she motioned him to the front door. When they were at wooden door, she turned to face him and leaned her back against it, facing Rufus, who was brimming with anticipation. "Please don't try to run," Tifa said softly, almost pleading. "Because if you do…I'll have to come after you." Her eyes were tinged with apprehension and pain.

Rufus' mouth formed a hard line. "Don't give me that look," he said. "I told you I won't try anything. I swear it."

Tifa nodded and handed him some gloves. "Then put these on," she said, "they're Cloud's but they should fit." She turned around and undid multiple, complicated bolts and finally wrestled the door open, exposing Rufus, as he put on the gloves, to the outside world for the first time in days.

The sun's light reflecting off the snow was blinding at first, but once Rufus' eyes adjusted, he could see the small flecks of sunlight sparkle in the blanket. It looked as if the ground glittered in the afternoon light. The cold air lightly brushed his hair away from his face as he took in the sight. There were hills upon hills in the distance, all blanketed in powder. He stepped forward and let his foot sink through the snow a few inches.

Tifa closed the front door behind her and saw Rufus, observing the world around him. "Isn't it breathtaking?" she asked.

He looked at Tifa who stepped into the sunlight, holding a large smile on her face. It was so infectious he couldn't help but smile back, the tug on lips making his earlier injury sore. Rufus brought his hand up to his face and felt a bit embarrassed. He must look like a punching bag right now. He turned away. "It's lovely," he said. He breathed deeply. The air here was so clean.

Tifa walked in front of him and spread her arms out. She then closed her eyes and fell backwards into the snow without the slightest hesitation. Rufus went to her side, thinking she had fallen. "No, no," she giggled, looking up at Rufus' concerned face. "You're supposed to drop back and move your arms, like this." Tifa moved her arms up and down and her legs from side to side, moving the snow in the process. "They're called snow angels."

Rufus stood up and saw the form taking shape. He took in the sight of Tifa outlined in snow with the sweetest smile. "Why make one when I already have one?" he asked.

Tifa's smile went away, surprised at his words. Then she giggled and stood up, put her hands to Rufus' chest and pushed him down into the snow. "Because more is always better!"

Rufus chuckled as snow flew up around him. "Okay, okay, I'll try!" Rufus moved his limbs the same way Tifa did. After a few motions, Tifa held out her hand and pulled Rufus to his feet. He turned and admired his work. "So this is what AVALANCE does for fun, huh?" asked Rufus as Tifa helped him pat the snow off of his back.

"Playing in the snow? Yes, it's quite appropriate," she laughed. Tifa walked forward, farther away from the cabin and Rufus walked beside her.

"Have you walked around this place?"

"A little bit, while I was waiting for Cloud and Barrett to get your father. I did a few small hikes around here. There's a small patch of ice around that hill there," she pointed. In a few minutes Rufus and Tifa came upon a flat sheet of ice that was the size of a small pond. "Have you gone ice skating before?"

Rufus shook his head. "No, and certainly not without skates. Though my mother did take me to see an ice skating show once in Junon." He remembered the spectacular performance vividly. "I received a snow globe from the small shop and hid it from my father when we returned home." He smiled. "My dad never found out."

Tifa chuckled. "Well good thing then. Also you don't need skates!" Tifa stepped a few feet away from the edge of the ice sheet, then bolted back and skid to the other side, using her arms to keep her steady. She made it to the other side and jumped into the powder, stilling her momentum. She turned and did a salute the way an athlete may do to a judge after a performance. "Now you try!" She called to the other side.

Rufus shook his head. "No way, I've been beat up enough. I don't need any more injuries," he replied playfully.

"That's nonsense!" Tifa repeated the motion, this time more fluidly and at ease, and came up to the other side with Rufus again. "Come on, it's fun." She took Rufus' wrist and pulled him back a few feet away from the edge as Tifa did before. "We'll do it together."

"Tifa, wait!" Rufus managed to say before he felt Tifa's tug on him as she ran forward. Rufus picked up his pace and tried to match Tifa's motions as best he could. When his feet touched the ice, Tifa released her grip and he continued to slide forward effortlessly, albeit as he waved his arms wildly to keep his balance. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he kept himself from tipping over. When he made it to the other side, his foot caught on the snow, stopping him abruptly as he fell forward, face-first into a pile of snow.

When Tifa reached the other side, she ran over to Rufus, fearing he was hurt. "Are you alright?" she asked, reaching for his shoulders to turn him around.

Rufus turned over, laughing a hearty laugh with his eyes closed. His racing heart and sudden surroundings of cold gave him a feeling he hadn't felt in decades. He opened his eyes, still laughing, to see Tifa hovering over him, smiling.

Tifa took his happiness as an answer to her question. "I'll give that a four out of ten," she giggled, lifting him up. "Care to try again?"

Emboldened, Rufus ran back and took his position a few feet away from the edge, waiting for Tifa to join him. "Ready when you are," he teased.

Tifa met him in his place and they did it again, this time Rufus kept his balance and leapt to the snow so as to not fall again. Then they did so again. And once more after, each time greeting the other side with a squeal of delight from Tifa and laughter from Rufus. The next time they weren't so fortunate, and neither jumped quickly enough, and they both tumbled into the snow. "You're getting better at this," Tifa said, almost out of breath, turning on to her back.

Rufus turned over on his back as well. "Not bad for someone that's never been in the snow before." Rufus grimaced, not wanting that detail to slip by. But when he saw Tifa tilt her head toward him playfully, he knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. "Yes, there you have it, the great Rufus Shinra has never been in the snow before." His spirit felt so lifted. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy.

Tifa shook her head lightly. "Could've fooled me. I've only been in the snow a few times myself. Sometimes it snowed near the peak of Mount Nibel, but the terrain's too dangerous for anything like this." Both cast their eyes upward to the blue, cloudless sky above them. It was so blue, it was as if Rufus was seeing a shade he'd never seen before. The sky in Junon always seemed perpetually dark, and unnaturally green, as did the water.

"How many times have you come out here since you've done this? Do you live here?"

Tifa shook her head. "No, of course not. I live in the city, just like you did. But I live under the plates. Good luck trying to find me though," she winked.

"I've heard about the slums under the plates. I will pass going down there." Rufus' smile faded, he turned toward Tifa, seeing hers fade as well. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

Tifa shook her head. "It's okay. It is not a favorable place to be. Whatever you've heard about it is probably true. But the people that live down there aren't bad people. We're just trying to make the most of what we have."

Rufus nodded slowly. "I see."

"What's it like up on the plate? I've been there a few times, but only in the densely populated areas with the community activities. I haven't seen any of the homes or parks."

Rufus shrugged against the snow-covered ground. "I'm afraid I don't have much to say. I never left the Shinra building when I lived there. I remember there being large houses a couple miles away for personnel to live and various shops and restaurants. Nothing of too much substance though. I think the Turks tire of it too, as I hear they often go beneath the plate and enjoy the night life there during their time off."

"Tire of it? With all of that wealth and glamour, why would anyone want to leave?"

"Because everyone is the same I guess. Putting on airs and acting the same way, speaking the same stilted dialogue. No one is genuine. I don't think I've ever met the real side of anyone up there or in Junon."

"This is a sad subject," Tifa said flatly, getting up from the snow. She held out her hand to Rufus to help him to his feet. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Rufus agreed and took her hand. Her pale face held the slightest smile on her lips and Rufus inwardly resolved he would go with her wherever she wanted. "What else is up here?" he asked.

"Well further north is a glacier," she replied leading him farther from the cabin. "But it's far too dangerous to go there. Way down south is a resort, which will also be too dangerous to go to."

"I'm aware," Rufus managed to say before Tifa clamped a gloved hand over Rufus' mouth as he came up behind her.

"Shhh, keep your voice down," she whispered.

"What's the matter?" he whispered back.

"Look," she said, pointing to a pack of wild chocobos. "I hardly get to see them in the wild up here."

Rufus looked at the creatures feeding and digging their feet in the snow. Rufus had remembered seeing chocobos in a petting zoo a long time ago, but recently his only exposure to chocobos was when Reno and Rude were watching the gambling rosters from the Gold Saucer. "They're cute."

"Aren't they? I've ridden a wild chocobo before, in the fields outside of Midgar. Those chocobos are more docile though. The ones here are much more aggressive or prone to dash at the sight of a perceived threat." As if on queue, one chocobo looked in their direction and made a mad dash the opposite way. The other chocobos followed suit and before they knew it, they were out of sight.

"Well there's goes that, then," Rufus said, his voice resuming his normal tone.

"Oh shoot." Tifa pouted. "Oh well, you can't tame a wild beast."

"Well that's what makes them so fascinating." He came up beside her and smiled.

Despite having a dark bruise on the side of his mouth and small cuts from earlier injuries, Rufus had a new glow to his face, the likes of which Tifa had never seen. "I guess so."

The two continued to walk in the snow slowly, not heading in any particular direction. "What's it like, riding one of those things?" he asked. Tifa looked at him inquisitively. "Do you use a saddle or…"

"Not always. I mean I guess if you go to a farm range where they offer riding. But I didn't use a saddle. My team and I rode bareback."

"When was this?"

"A few weeks ago. We spotted them in the marsh areas and were able to mount them. It's quite exhilarating but you feel sore afterwards."

Rufus cleared his throat loudly. While Tifa was simply commenting on riding a wild animal, the choice of words, when taken out of context, suggested something much more sensual. He tried to bury such thoughts in his head. He didn't want to mess this opportunity to be with Tifa up by making crude remarks. True he was happy just to be outdoors and away from that dank prison in the cottage, but more still, he had never enjoyed the company of another female like this in years. This woman wasn't interested in his money and wasn't shamelessly throwing herself at him. She was just…herself. "Maybe I can ride one, one day," he said, trying to steer his thoughts away, then realizing it was doing no good.

Tifa giggled. "I don't think that's a good idea. What if the great Rufus Shinra fell off and broke his neck? Then where would we be?"

"I would not be harmed, I am invincible," he said humorously. Tifa slowed her pace as Rufus continued to walk. Before long he was in front of her. When he looked to his side and didn't see her, he swung around to find her, "Tifa-" in a flurry of white, a ball of snow burst on his face, knocking him off his feet, sending him hurling towards the ground.

As he brushed the snow off of his face, he could hear Tifa laughing hysterically. "Invincible my foot!" she called, rushing over to him.

" _What the hell just happened? Did she just try to attack me? Then why is she laughing? And was that supposed to hurt?"_ Rufus, not knowing what to do, mimicked her behavior and chucked a handful of snow at Tifa's head, hitting her square in the face as she came near him. Instead of shouting in pain, she squeaked in surprised and started laughing again, until she fell to her side on the ground. "Did I hurt you?" Rufus asked concerned, almost regretting his action.

"Of course not," Tifa giggled. She shook her head wildly, letting loose bits of snow fly off of her. "You can't even make a proper snowball!" she laughed until she was out of breath.

"What?" Rufus said confused. "Snowball?"

Tifa caught her breath. "Wow you really are out of touch." Tifa reached down and picked up a handful of snow and molded it into a ball in her hands. "This is much more effective." She lightly chucked it at his chest.

"What's the meaning of this?" Rufus brushed the snow off of him.

"Well I was hoping for a snowball fight, but I guess it'll have to be a snowball massacre!" Tifa knelt down to make a new one. _"She's just playing?"_ Rufus thought. When he saw the snow come toward him, he ducked out of the way.

"Hah! You missed!" he said getting to his feet. He couldn't quite see how chucking snow at someone could be fun, but he soon found himself reaching for snow and making some ammunition of his own. He could hear Tifa scrambling behind him, giggling in the process. Rufus managed to form his snowball first and hurled it at Tifa as soon as he turned around. He hit her stomach this time and she only caught his shoulder.

She ran in the other direction while Rufus repeated the process. Before long, the two of them were engaged in an intense duel of snowballs. Rufus, while thinking the idea itself was absurd, lost himself in the activity. The adrenaline of not getting hit with snow, the active pace of harmless combat, and the smiling face of Tifa created a perfect storm of bliss for him.

Their constant moving around brought them to a small slope in the snow. Rufus reared up and chucked another hunk of snow at Tifa and it struck her. "Massacre my foot!" Rufus echoed Tifa's previous statement.

In mock frustration, Tifa lightly tackled Rufus to the ground, sending the two of them rolling down the slope. When they reached the base, Rufus tried to get up, but was suddenly hit with how tired he was. He gasped for breath as he tried to contain his laughter. Tifa got to her feet and stood over him. "The mighty Rufus Shinra has been defeated!" She threw up her arms in triumph. Rufus couldn't retort as he was out of breath. He only managed to turn onto his back and blow small bits of snow out of his mouth.

Once Tifa came down from her battle high, she looked up at the sky, seeing it become darker. Days were shorter in this part of the world and she wanted to kick herself for sleeping in so late, not being able to enjoy the sun a bit more. A swift breeze came through just then, brining a slight chill as the sun's light began to wane.

"Looks like we need to head back soon?" Rufus said quietly.

Tifa looked down to him. "Not yet," she said, pulling Rufus to his feet. She didn't release his wrist and guided him toward another, steep, slope. "There's something you need to see, the lights almost just right!"

Rufus struggled to keep up with her. He was still out of breath and it was clear to him that he did not have the same stamina as Tifa did. Eventually, after a few minutes of climbing, they finally reached the top of the tall slope. Rufus got to his knees, struggling to regain his breath. He took in the sight as he did so. From their vantage point, he could see their cottage down below, and further out, much further, he could see trees peppering the side of the mountain. He also saw some clouds coming in from the south. Down farther still, he could just make out a collection of small cottages. After a few minutes he finally had his breathing under control and got to his feet. "There's a village down there?"

"Yeah, way down there. It's a lot bigger than it looks from here," Tifa replied.

Rufus had to admit, while he wasn't going to try and escape now, he was comforted to know that there were signs of civilization much closer than he had previously anticipated. "It's a lovely sight." Rufus was not used to nature, only buildings and technology. He didn't know how to thank Tifa for bringing him there. Rufus could see small specks of light coming from the far away village as the sun began to set.

Tifa turned around from the sight and gasped. "Look!" as she grabbed at his arm.

Rufus turned around and saw lovely waves of colored lights dance in the darkening sky. Brilliant colors of purple, blue and green cast through the night like ribbons atop the summit of the mountain. Rufus was speechless. All of this was created by nature, not electricity or any sort of technology. The sight was so beautiful it was maddening. He looked at Tifa who was entranced by the sight. He saw the lights reflect off of Tifa's pale face, across her slightly red cheeks and her nose. She was so adorable and she was with him, sharing this moment. It was as if all apprehension left him and his body was acting on his own. He slid his arm around her waist and brought her close to him. Tifa didn't realize what happened until her chest was pushed up against Rufus'. His face was blank, but his eyes were intent. Without thinking, Rufus cupped Tifa's face with his free hand and held it into place as he gently kissed her.

Tifa felt the soft lips on hers first, then she felt her racing heart next. Lastly she felt an intense heat rise to her cheeks even though she was certain all of the blood was draining from her face. Tifa was lost in the numerous sensations going through her that she didn't even realize she had closed her eyes until she felt Rufus withdraw. She blinked rapidly, mouth trembling, trying to form words. "Wha…wha…." was all Tifa managed to let out.

"Because you made me feel better," Rufus said, again echoing one of Tifa's earlier sentiments. Despite his level tone, Rufus' chest was also beating like crazy. He didn't know what came over him and didn't realize what he was doing until his mouth was on Tifa's. Rufus felt Tifa's hand on top of his while he still held her face. She looked uncertain, hesitant.

"We should head back," she finally said. She turned away and Rufus followed her. There was an uncomfortable silence between them as both or their thoughts were on the other. The trek back was farther than Rufus remembered. His mind wasn't on distance on their way there. He wracked his brain as he tried to think of what to say. He didn't know if he wanted to apologize or tell her that he didn't regret anything, despite her reaction.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two made it back to the cottage just as the last flecks of the day disappeared behind the mountain and small specks of snow began to fall. Tifa went to open the door and paused. "Rufus…." she began. "Why did you…do _that_?" She didn't turn to face him and Rufus could barely make out her form in the minimal light cast on the mountain.

"I told you. Because you made me feel better," Rufus said, holding a rigid stance.

"Oh." Tifa grew silent again. "That's it?" Rufus didn't respond. After a palpable silence, Tifa spoke again. "You didn't because you…liked me?"

Rufus' heart dropped. His previous musings of him having affection for Tifa hit him like a brick wall. It was a quick rush, and now he knew it. He _did_ have affection for her. And he knew she did too, otherwise she would not have done so many things for him in the past few days. Rufus put his arms on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He took her face in his hands and kissed her once more, this time deeper, more passionately.

Tifa felt her knees give way as she collapsed all of her weight to the door behind her. Rufus' pressed his mouth to hers with an unmistakable hunger. She squirmed in Rufus' grasp, not sure if she should try to get away or not. Rufus was lost in the sensations as well. He could hear faint squeals and moans escape from Tifa's throat but she wasn't pushing him away. He trailed kisses to her cheek and then to her ear, finally letting her mouth free. "I did Tifa…" he whispered between kisses. "I want you…I _need_ you."

Tifa's eyes flew open, both of them were surprised by his choice of words. It was as if all poise and grace was lost to reckless passion. Tifa fumbled for the door handle behind her. She didn't know what would happen next, but she knew that whatever did, it needed to be done indoors. The door swung open and Tifa fell backward onto the cottage floor with Rufus falling on top of her. The sudden thud knocked Rufus out of his stupor. He was looking down at a mystified Tifa as he pulled away. "Sorry…" he said breathily. "I'm getting carried away."

He stood up and helped Tifa to her feet. Tifa went past Rufus to bolt the door to the outside behind them. Another silence held between them. In the dark cottage, Rufus could see the perpetual dull light come from his room. He looked at Tifa who stood perfectly still, her hands still on the door, not facing him. Defeated, Rufus walked towards his room without needed to be told by Tifa that it was time for him to be locked up again. When he was about to make his way inside, he felt Tifa tug at his arm. "Don't go," she said softly. "Stay with me. Out here."

Rufus smiled slightly and nodded. Tifa led him to the couch as he took a seat. Tifa went to the fireplace across from the couch and started a small fire, using a small amount of wood now that the buggy was gone. The warmth spread throughout the small living room as Tifa took off her coat and gloves. Rufus did the same, not feeling the need to have them anymore.

Tifa, abandoning her resolve to avoid Rufus for good, sat beside and hugged Rufus close, snuggling onto his chest. "Tifa, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Rufus said, trying to keep calm.

Tifa shook her head against his chest. "No, you didn't….it's just…" she leaned up and looked into his eyes. "I never felt what it was like to be needed." She pulled away from him and stared at the fire. "What would my teammates think? What would they do to you or me? I must sound so pathetic right now."

Rufus put an arm on her shoulder. "No you don't."

"Did you mean what you said? That you needed me?"

"I meant it…and I don't care what happens to me if they find out what I did. I'd do it again even."

Tifa turned to him smiled, placing a hand on his leg. She slowly leaned in to kiss him, kicking off her snow boots in the process. Rufus reciprocated and gently pulled Tifa back closer to him, holding her in his arms. Slowly, Tifa deepened the kiss and grew more willful with each passing second. When Tifa matched Rufus' passion, he started to let his hands wander on her body. Now without her coat and boots, all she had on was her white tank top and black pants, leaving his exploration somewhat hindered.

Rufus felt up the small of her back underneath her shirt, wanting to see how far Tifa was willing to go. Tifa let Rufus' hand wander on her bare back. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew what she was doing was wrong. That in some way she was betraying her teammates, and in some measure betraying Cloud directly. But how long had she waited for him to show her affection? They were just friends. Rufus told her exactly how he felt, and Tifa had spent the past few days thinking about nothing but him. The feel of his lips to hers felt so _right._

Tifa's inner conflict was shattered when she felt Rufus unhook her bra while she was atop him. She gasped and sat upright, holding her bra in place. Straddling him, she could feel his hard length between her legs, obstructed by their clothing. A deep red flush came to her cheeks. "I'm sorry, should we stop?" asked Rufus with a strained voice.

"N-no!" Tifa muttered quickly. "It's just…I've never done this before. I'm not sure what to do…I don't want to disappoint you."

Rufus sat up as well to bring his face level with hers. Her shyness was almost too much for him. Even when she practically had him eating out of the palm of her hand, she was still concerned with pleasing others. "Nothing you do can disappoint me," he said quietly. He pressed his forehead to hers.

The contact made her heart flutter. She nodded against him and leaned back, crossed her arms in front her, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and lifted hit over her head. Rufus leaned back on his bent elbows looking up at Tifa, stunned by her wanton behavior. Once she discarded her shirt, she took off her bra and it too was thrown to the floor. Tifa crossed her arms in front of her again, hiding her bare chest. Rufus didn't press her, but his eyes hungrily devoured the sight and anticipated her next move.

Tifa exhaled deeply, biting her lower lip, and moved her arms down, showing Rufus what he could only describe as the object of every man's fantasy. Rufus shuddered at the sight. Without thinking, both of his hands were on her, massaging her. He glided his thumbs over her nipples as they hardened in response. He gently pinched them and admired Tifa's slightly pained expression at the feeling. Tifa closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look at Rufus as he did these things to her. She felt an aching between her legs, a familiar feeling she had when she thought of Cloud, but much more intense now as the events unfolded in real life before her.

Tifa reached down and touched the bruise on his mouth, then trailing down his neck, and then tugged at Rufus' button up shirt. He got the hint and stopped his fondling and sat up again, unbuttoning his shirt. It opened up and revealed a lovely, toned figure that made Tifa quiver. He wriggled out of it and discarded it to the floor. Before Rufus could resume his previous task, Tifa got off of him and pulled him to his feet from the couch. Without saying a word, she led him upstairs to her bedroom as the fire in the living room waned and burned out completely.

 _Author's Note:_

 _And so finally….the scene by which I based this entire story around that was supposed to happen within three chapters, has finally been completed. Oy. I came up with the idea of Rufus and Tifa spending a day together playing in the snow while listening to a remix of Buried in Snow by the Videri String Quartet, featured on the album Materia: Final Fantasy VII Remixed. It's a fantastic rendition of the track featured in the game and it just shouts playful romance to me. I also made lyrics to it as well that you can check out on my deviantART. That being said, thanks again for reading, folks. Any review, containing praise or criticism, is greatly appreciated. Thanks again!_

 _~Zeldafreak701_


	7. Chapter 7

Rufus silently let Tifa lead him upstairs to the familiar wooden door. Even from his angle, he could still see Tifa's breast bounce in the firelight as it faded behind them with each step. It was almost comical to him that both of them were without their tops with only their pants on in the cold place. But all he could think about was the beautiful woman in front of him, leading to a place unexplored. Rufus felt his cheeks get hotter with each step, his heart thundering in his chest.

In his life he had never really thought about being with woman, especially in this way. He'd seen Reno with countless women leaving the Shinra building, and even Rude on occasion with women in similar appearance to Tifa. But not once had he paid any of them a passing thought. He was not ignorant to these things. On occasion he would follow one of his Turks into the Honeybee Inn to fetch Heidegger, and would see various instances of fantasy play out. Then of course there were the occasional novels he glimpsed Elena reading he would thumb through at her desk.

Tifa opened her bedroom door in front of her without hesitation and quickly shut the door behind them. It was an amusing thought, as if she were afraid someone would walk by. She took a small candle and illuminated the otherwise dark room. Against the firelight, Rufus could see the soft light outline the curve of her perfect body. He let out a low groan, fighting the urge to rip her pants off.

Tifa turned to face Rufus and took a deep breath. She hooked her thumbs into her pants and slipped them off, standing completely nude in front of him. Rufus, with no poise or grace, fumbled with his white trousers, tying to undo them and pull them off at the same time. Tifa smiled, enjoying the show. When Rufus finally got his pants off, he stood up straight, realizing he was trembling too. He looked up at Tifa, hoping she would like what she saw.

Tifa eyed him up and down, drinking in the sight. This wasn't the first time she'd seen a naked man, she'd seen Cloud undress and take a shower, but never with him knowing. Tifa took his hand and led him to her bed. Rufus sat beside her and began to kiss her again. Tifa fell backward on her back, her dark hair splayed beneath her, and let Rufus climb on top of her. He kissed her fiercely and passionately. Letting himself get lost to instinct his hands again wandered around her body. He played with her breast, kissed her cheeks, ran his hands on the inside of her thighs.

Tifa lay there with her eyes closed, a dryness settling at the back of her throat. _"She's so quiet,"_ thought Rufus. He tenderly went up to kiss Tifa's mouth again. "Tifa…" he said quietly. "Look at me…." Tifa's eyelids slowly opened and could see Rufus' face in the dim light cast behind him. She smiled slowly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said breathily. "Everything is perfect." No more words. Rufus would take this all the way. Tifa tilted her head back, craning her neck toward Rufus, who hungrily accepted the invitation, splaying heated kisses on her. Tifa pushed all apprehension from her mind about her teammates, about her hostage's situation and mostly Cloud. She put her hands on Rufus' back, pulling him closer towards her. Rufus' head dipped down and mouthed at her nipple, causing Tifa to gasp. Through heavy lids she saw his gaze look right her as he did so, causing her heart to beat faster. She felt so exposed and hot.

Rufus continued his ministrations on the other side before he dipped down between her legs. Tifa, unsure of what he was doing, propped herself up on her elbows too look and immediately threw her head back when Rufus devoured at her at her core. Tifa began to shake, feeling every deliciously obscene movement Rufus made with his mouth. Tifa squirmed and a fought the moans that tried to escape. She didn't want to appear too needy or green at such things. But with every stroke of his tongue and graze of his teeth against her, she couldn't contain them.

Her breath became ragged and her moans turned into whimpers. She didn't realize it until Rufus held into her place that she was squirming shamelessly trying to gain friction against him. Rufus grunted and held her into place, determined to make her feel this on his own. His tongue stabbed inside and Tifa drew in a deep breath, and slowly saw her vision flash white as a wave of bliss hit slowly, creeping up her abdomen and then exploding in a crash of ecstasy as she let out a desperate cry of adulation for Rufus. She came down, then back up again, suddenly. The second climax was shorter than the previous, but she still rode it out with a moan. Then again, once more, each time she felt something release in a pool beneath them.

Afterward, Tifa felt Rufus' mouth burn against her. She was spent as she jerked up. Rufus purred as he lifted himself up to look at the flushed form before him, panting and satiated. Tifa glimpsed at him again, seeing something she hadn't before. His eyes were intent and his face was fierce with satisfaction. He positioned himself between Tifa's legs and thrust home, causing her to cry out. He withdrew only to drive into her again, faster this time. It was her first time and he was being too rough. For a moment, Rufus repeated his motions, each time Tifa fighting the pain. He went faster and faster until Tifa held him still. Rufus looked down to see Tifa's grimaced face, realizing he was going too fast.

Wordlessly, Tifa pulled away from Rufus and made him lay down on the bed, his head near the footboard. Lying still, Rufus watched Tifa as she mounted him, slowly letting Rufus enter her again. Rufus felt a heat rise in him as this angle deepened his penetration. Tifa moved up and down, splaying her hands on Rufus' chest. She moved ground back and forth and then hopped up and down. She was surprised she wasn't shy about this; she was just focused on _more, more, more_!

Rufus held her hips in place as he thrust home once again. The new angle allowed Tifa to feel every inch of Rufus inside of her. As he slid back and forth, Tifa looked down at Rufus. His face was calm, almost mesmerized at the sensations that the sensations he was feeling. He looked up at the goddess before him and slowly picked up his pace. He was primal, wanting nothing more than to take Tifa as his own. Soon Tifa matched his rhythm as he pumped mercilessly into her, causing her to pant and moan with each stab.

Tifa looked upward, mouth open, the soft candle firelight upon her. Soon, there was no rhyme or reason to Rufus' movement as he jerked wildly into Tifa, until he let out a guttural moan of Tifa's name. It hit Tifa as well as she felt Rufus spill inside of her, digging her nails into his chest. The moments afterward seem to stretch on forever as both tried to catch their breath. Tifa slipped herself off Rufus and lay on her side next to him. Her feet burrowed beneath the pillows at the other side of the bed.

Rufus stared up at the ceiling, slowly piecing his conscious together and wrapping his arm around Tifa, pulling her close. He swirled his tongue around his mouth, still tasting Tifa on him. Tifa rested on his chest, trying not to let the guilt get to her so soon after her coupling with Rufus. She kept her gaze on his glistening chest as it rose and fell. "Tifa…" he said softly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Would you consider coming back to Junon with me?" he asked. "When I leave this place?"

Tifa's eyes shot open. She wasn't expecting that. "I…I can't…" she said warily.

Rufus pursed his lips together. "I know. I know you can't." He tightened his arm around her. He knew the reality but it still pained him that she didn't say yes. What was it about this woman that made him behave this way? He hadn't felt this happy in years and he just copulated with one of his captors. None of this made sense to him, but perhaps it didn't need to; not when he felt so content just to be laying there with Tifa.

"Rufus…you'll be safe when you go back, won't you?"

Rufus furrowed his brow and looked down at Tifa. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…won't your father's assailant try to kill you too?"

Rufus shook his head. "He was probably careless. I won't be done in that way. Not in any way."

Tifa hugged Rufus close and rested in the crook of his neck, holding back a sob. "It's just…I saw it. I saw it in my dream. You were killed in the same way…by Sephiroth."

Rufus nearly jumped at the name. So Tifa saw Sephiroth as well? Was she near him when Nibelheim was razed to the ground by him? How close did she come to death that day? Rufus remembered Tifa waking up in such a scared state just after they received news of his father's death. "Tifa…is that what you were dreaming about the other day? When you woke up shaking?"

Tifa further buried herself into his neck. "It seemed so real. You were right there, cut down, just like my father." She sobbed lightly. "I don't want to lose any more people I care about. I've seen so much death and sadness, bad things happening to good people. When will it end?"

Rufus tilted Tifa's head up and lightly kissed her. He recalled Tifa repeating how she hated them all. Now it all made sense. Who else in the world was responsible for Sephiroth and the planet's demise but his company? "It ends with me," he said simply, suppressing a yawn.

Tifa almost wanted to believe him. He seemed so sincere and so unlike his father. Did he truly care for her cause? Did he truly care for her?

Rufus' outdoor excursions and indoor romp with Tifa had exhausted him as he kissed Tifa on the forehead. "Good night," he whispered, mist veiling his eyes. Sleep hit him hard as Tifa saw his breathing instantly become slow and deep. Not wanting to move him from atop her own bed, Tifa rose to get the comforter in Cloud's room and draped it atop both of them. Tifa fell asleep atop Rufus' chest and let the post coupling bliss take her into sleep.

Tifa was the first to wake. She saw the slats of light filter into her eyes as she faced her window. Why was she sleeping the wrong way on the bed? She looked down and saw her feet entangled in the pillows along with another set of feet. Her heart raced but she managed not to rise right away. So it was true. She slept with the enemy. She wanted to feel dirty and awful. But she didn't. She felt more content than she had in years and relieved that her meticulous panning of contraception didn't go to waste. She looked up to see Rufus' chest rise and fall. The bruise on his cheek was still there, but he was still devastatingly handsome. This distinguished man needed her; he admitted it the previous night. She laid her head back on his chest and lightly kissed him there. She wanted to forget everything for a short moment until she heard a static, tinny voice calling her name from the other room.

Tifa shot up, immediately covering herself. She grabbed a smaller blanket and wrapped it about her and stumbled into the other room. Rufus, now awake from the movement, remained in bed and listened to Tifa speak from a distance.

"This is Tifa, I'm right here," she said, clutching the blanket close to her.

"Tifa, it's Cloud, we'll be coming back now. We negotiated rich boy in exchange for a research specimen from Cosmo Canyon. He supposedly has a connection to the planet. He will probably help us. Shrina will also join in the hunt for Sephiroth, but will back down if we get to him first," Cloud said. "That was the deal."

"That's good. So you'll be back in a day and a half or so?" said Cloud.

"Two days. Aerith wants me to make good on a date promise from a few weeks ago. When we retrieve him, we're going to drop him off at an undisclosed location where we'll trade off the specimen."

"Good to know." Tifa searched her head for something else to say, but couldn't find any words. So Cloud indeed was going to be with Aerith. How predictable.

"Well….we'll be seeing you soon, Tifa."

"Yes….bye, Cloud."

Tifa switched off the communicator and turned to get up. She stopped and jumped when she saw Rufus standing next to her, still with no clothing on despite the morning chill. Tifa moved her mouth to speak, but Rufus took her lips to his again. "Two days, huh?" he breathed. Tifa wanted to say something in retort about him listening in, but lost all sense when Rufus peeled the blanket from her. "So I only have two more days to enjoy my time with you."

Tifa stood to meet Rufus' height and guided him over to Cloud's bed. This time they made love fast, hard and relentlessly. There was something incredibly liberating and wicked about having sex with Rufus on Cloud's bed. She let him take her, indulge in her, whisper things in her ear. Tifa moved against him, lifting herself up to match his rhythm and speed, relishing the feeling that Rufus wanted her badly as she gave herself to him.

When they finished, Rufus lay spent on top of her. They both caught their breath as the sun rose higher. She stroked Rufus' hair as he rolled off of her. Tifa got up from the bed and walked toward her room. "I'm going to take a shower," she said breathlessly, suddenly conscious of her sweating body. She turned on the hot water and soon saw Rufus join her, where he took her again. He was becoming addicted to the feeling of being inside of Tifa.

In the late morning, Tifa and Rufus went downstairs donning their normal attire. Tifa started another fire while Rufus sat at the table. "I could go for a nice brunch," he said.

"Ah brunch, a fancy word for rich folks that are too hung over to make it to normal breakfast time," Tifa giggled.

Tifa looked over her shoulder at Rufus who held a somber smile. He looked so content and relaxed but anxious as well. There was no doubting that they were thinking the same thing. Did their coupling make them lovers? Should they be holding hands or sharing thoughts about the future? No. Tifa knew their futures were uncertain now, and that they both had a responsibility more so to their peers than to each other.

Tifa set their plates in front of them. Rufus was happy that he didn't have to eat his food in chains anymore. "How did you know our secret?"

"It's no secret. Poor people like me just call it early lunch."

Rufus sighed at the phrase. Knowing Tifa would return to a life of destitution and danger after he was released put a damper on his mood. "Tifa…" he looked up to face her, eyes meeting hers. "What are your plans after this? Are you going to pursue Sephiroth as well, if he's back, with your group?"

Tifa let out a trembling sigh. She didn't like the subject. "Yes. I must."

"He's dangerous though. What if he tries to kill you?"

"He _will_ try to kill me! He'll try to kill everyone."

"So you'll chase madman around the world with your small team? Then what? Do you know what he's capable of? Don't be so rash. Let me and my company stop him, let me protect you!" Tifa bit back tears. "Come back to Junon with me. Or follow me to Midgar. Let me be your protector."

Tifa shook her head. "I don't need a protector," she smiled wryly.

Rufus was silent for a moment. "Maybe not….But I still want to be."

Tifa stood from her chair and got on her knees next to Rufus' sitting body. She hugged him close. "Let me protect you too. We can fight Sephiroth together, but in our own ways."

Rufus pursed his lips. He had hoped Tifa would take him up on his offer this time around to return with him, but she was too aware of the reality as well. How could he harbor a known criminal in secret? It was a ludicrous idea. He would have to pretend he never saw her before for her own safety from his company.

Another thought came to his mind as well. What if they came across another hostage and Tifa let her guard down again? They may not treat Tifa's generosity the same way. What if they were to overpower her? Hold her down and force her legs apart….

Instantly Rufus held her head close to his torso, her lowered height allowed her to bury her face in his coat. "Be cautious, Tifa," was all he managed to say. "Don't let anyone hurt you." Tifa nodded against him. She knew that their time together couldn't last, but she loved the feeling of him against her. The security and the overwhelming feeling of him near her.

"Let's not worry," Tifa said as she stood. "We'll find each other again."

Tifa and Rufus finished eating their pancakes and toast. "Thank you, Tifa," Rufus said.

Tifa stood up next to Rufus and reluctantly kissed his forehead. She had given her innocence to this man; her sworn enemy. She had spent the entire morning letting it sink in, the pleasant soreness between her legs acting as a constant reminder. Rufus looked up at her and smiled while he remained seated. Despite still having the dark circles under his eyes and the slightly present bruise on his face, he looked… _happy_.

"Rufus…I'm sorry about all of this. Bringing you here and subjecting you to this prison."

Rufus shook his head. "Don't think about it. For all we know if you hadn't brought me I could be the dead one instead of my old man."

Tifa nodded slowly. There was some truth in that, but what would change when he returned? He would be in even more danger if he assumed the role as the new president.

"Rufus…once you leave here, our paths might cross again."

"I hope they do." He smiled faintly.

"No I mean…we may meet again when we're still on different sides… We may have to fight each other."

Rufus chewed his lip. "You're right," he said flatly. The two looked at each other. Tifa stood over Rufus as he sat in the chair and put her hand on his shoulder. Rufus placed his hand atop hers. "I may see you in action after all." He winked.

Tifa couldn't help but giggle again. It seemed to her that Rufus loosened up a bit from the rigid business man to a laid back magnate.

"Until that time comes though, why don't you tell me more about your early life in Nibelheim?" he asked.

"I'm afraid there's not much to tell. There was this one time years ago when I was a kid. My mother had just passed and I was convinced I would be able to see her on the other side of Mount Nibel. Cloud went with me and I fell down… I was in a coma for seven days they tell me. My dad was really mad at Cloud. He blamed him for my injury but it wasn't his fault." Rufus stayed silent. "Afterwards, he went off to join Shinra. He said he wanted to prove to me how brave and strong he could be. I guess it's partly my fault too."

"Your fault? The man's a first class SOLDIER, it's hardly an underachievement."

Tifa scoffed. "But he isn't though….otherwise he would have…" She shook her head. Rufus suddenly began thinking of that as the reason why she put up with Cloud's behavior. "That's enough of that. What about you? What do you do at the office?"

Rufus' mouth went into a hard line. He couldn't admit that his own role in the company was akin to being a prisoner of his father's. "I'm afraid that's classified."

Tifa laughed. "Of course it is."

"It wouldn't interest you anyway. I work sixteen hours a day. Every day. There's nothing glamorous about paperwork."

"You seem to be in pretty good shape for spending all your time at a desk."

"I find the time to exercise. It's usually in the office. I'll take phone meetings I'm listening in on as I do some simple movements."

Tifa laughed. "Fit it in while you can I guess."

Rufus stood up, sliding the chair out from behind him. "You're right. I don't get to go outside much. Will you like to join me outside once again?" He held his hand out to her.

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Yes… and when you get back, I'll teach you how to cook." Rufus chuckled and returned the smile.

 _Two days later…_

Tifa saw the buggy approaching from a distance. She pulled Rufus back into his room and chained him back to the wall. "It's only for a few minutes," Tifa told him.

Rufus nodded and began to assume the position of a downtrodden hostage. Tifa turned to leave and greet Cloud but stopped before she reached the door. She looked back at Rufus for a moment and walked over to kiss him one last time. She held his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, just like she did four nights ago when she awoke from her nightmare. "I'll see you again," she whispered.

Rufus didn't get a chance to respond until Tifa was gone. He could see a faint glint of tears in her eyes. He would miss Tifa greatly, he knew. When was the last time someone cried for him? It had to be his mother years ago.

Within a few minutes Cloud burst into the room and unchained Rufus himself. He lifted the young vice president onto his shoulder and brought him outside. "I won't be at all sad to leave this place," said Cloud to Tifa as he loaded Rufus into the buggy, this time in the back seat, albeit with a blindfold on and hands tied behind his back again.

Barrett sat in the back with Rufus while Cloud and Tifa sat in the front. The vehicle made its way down the mountain in a relatively smooth ride. From the front seat, Cloud and Tifa could hear Barrett's light snoring, which was surprising as she could recall hearing it from the other room during some nights. Rufus didn't make any noise either, and he appeared to be asleep as well.

"He's tired," said Cloud. "He drove all night to the Junon port to get here sooner. He figured the sooner we get back, the sooner he'd get to see Marlene again."

"Quite the drive," Tifa replied absentmindedly as she eyed Rufus in the rearview mirror.

"How was he? He didn't give you any trouble did he?"

"No, Cloud, not at all."

"Good." Cloud paused. "So the date thing didn't go to well." Tifa's eyebrows went up and back down again in acknowledgement. "Yeah so, I kind of threw up on her after we ate a restaurant in Kalm."

Tifa briefly wondered why Cloud brought up the date unprompted but soon realized that Cloud would want to share such a thing with his friend. "Oh no!" she said, suppressing a giggle. "I hope the poor girl wasn't too upset."

"She was very understanding but…I don't think we'll be going on any more dates."

Tifa shrugged. "Well you kept your word, that's all that matters." Tifa forced a smile. It was hard to say those words with such sincerity despite the fact she herself did not keep her own word of not speaking to Rufus. In fact she spent the past two days with him, teaching him how to cook, though not very well, walking out in the snow, and coupling with him a good six times, before he told she must be a machine. She even invited him to sleep in bed with her those nights.

"Yeah…" Cloud paused again. "Anyway….you look nice, Tifa."

Tifa's heart began to race. "What? What makes you say that?"

"Nothing, it's just you look good…in that coat," he answered meekly.

Tifa started to blush and looked down at her bundled up self. This was unexpected behavior. Was his date with Aerith really _that_ bad? Was he trying to save face with the other female in the group? "Well thank you, Cloud. I've only been wearing it since we got here," she chuckled.

Cloud shrugged and smirked. "Well it looks even better now." Tifa smiled and nodded in response. "So, um…when we get back, do you want to do something? Maybe go for a walk? I know there's some scenic terrain outside of Cosmo Canyon," Cloud made sure to lower his voice so as to not let their passenger pick up on their next planned location.

Tifa went completely still, trying to digest Cloud's words. Was he asking her out on a date? After he just got through telling her about a date with another woman? Tifa kept a sigh from coming out and heard Rufus stir uncomfortably. _"So he was listening…and he's jealous…"_ Tifa thought. "Well Cloud, that sounds lovely but…I think there are more important things we need to worry about now."

"Oh yeah, you're right, sure thing," Cloud fumbled nervously through his words.

The rest of the trip to the village was a silent one. Rufus sat in the uncomfortable mute vehicle while he tried to keep his temper under control. This SOLDIER had the _audacity_ to use Tifa as his back up girl? He clenched his fists behind him. Tifa wasn't made to be someone's back up. Rufus knew she deserved someone that would treat her well and with respect. _"Someone like me,"_ Rufus thought. When this madness was at an end, would Tifa come find him again? He could only wonder. He didn't want Tifa to fall for this man's empty lust.

Rufus was loaded into another vessel and felt the familiar sensation of being lifted off of the ground in flight. Tifa and Cloud's voice could not be heard but he was held in place by someone. He assumed it was the large black man. Rufus let sleep take him, knowing this would likely be his last chance at rest before he returned to work.

When Rufus awoke again he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Tifa?" he said quietly.

"Shh," she hissed. "We're here. Your Turk is here alone. We're about to make the exchange."

Rufus still had his blindfold on but could feel Tifa's warmth. He felt groggy, having felt a fatigue he could only associate with Sleep materia. Not a bad idea, really. He didn't want to hear anymore words between the SOLDIER and Tifa. He wriggled his shoulders, and confirmed that his hands were still behind his back. "Sir! Are you okay?" Tseng's voice was called from a distance.

"Yes!" Rufus called back. "Let's get this over with."

The blindfold was ripped roughly from Rufus' head and he was greeted with the view of a large, uninhabited field. In such an empty place it would be difficult for any kind of ambush. These AVALANCE folk weren't as dumb as he thought. In the distance he could see the outline of Tseng with a red animal on a leash to his left. Near him was a motorcycle with a crate attached, probably for the research specimen.

"Alright, like we discussed. Meet halfway and then back again," Cloud called to him.

"Yes. Let's march."

Tseng began to walk forward with the specimen next to him. Cloud reached for Rufus. Tifa light placed her hand on his shoulder as he did so. "I love you…" she whispered.

Rufus did a double take back to her, eyes wide, as he felt Cloud drag him back in front of him. Why did she wait until now to tell him? Was she afraid of how he'd react? Rufus bit his tongue, not wanting to jeopardize her safety by responding with a similar sentiment.

Cloud shoved Rufus toward the approaching Turk and dog-like experiment. Rufus hoped Tseng wouldn't try something to disarm the SOLDIER. If he was alone, he may not pull through against these opponents. Thankfully, when each party of two drew near one another, Tseng held out the leash handle to Cloud, who in turn shoved Rufus to the Turk.

"Now get in your vehicle and leave," Cloud said.

"Gladly," said Rufus. He moved with Tseng to the distant motorcycle. When the two are out of earshot, Tseng spoke to him.

"Shall I release a kill bounty on them, sir? Or shall my men and I take them out?" he asked as he untied Rufus' hands.

"Bounty yes, kill no," Rufus responded as he rubbed his wrists. "They're going to look for Sephiroth as well. They may have information. But you must report directly to me if they are found."

"Understood," Tseng replied as he mounted the motorcycle. Rufus climbed on behind him and saw Tifa and her group enter the buggy and drive off.

" _She_ loves _me…"_ Rufus thought to himself, not quite understanding fully what the word truly meant.

"What is the first action, sir?"

"First things first. I'm the president now and we have a new mission: to hunt Sephiroth."

Back in Midgar, Rufus settled into his father's former office and overlooked the city. "Has the insubordination been put to rest?" Rufus asked.

"Yes sir. We also gathered more intel on your abductors," Tseng replied from the other side of the desk. "Turns out that cottage is used once a year for a couple of weeks by a research group to study the indigenous chocobos there. Owner says they had no knowledge someone was living there, though he could be lying."

Rufus shrugged. That hardly mattered now. Tifa and her group were long gone by now. "Anything else? What is the progress of determining Sephiroth's whereabouts?"

"We have forces all over the world trying to track him down. Nothing has been reported back yet."

Rufus nodded. "We must make finding him our top priority."

"Yes sir. By the way, you'll probably want this back " Tseng placed Rufus' beloved double barrel shotgun on the desk in front of him. "They brought it to prove it was really you."

Rufus nodded and placed his weapon in his coat where it belonged.

 _Many weeks later…_

Tifa awoke on a cold metal table. She turned her head to see Barrett sitting on the floor in the dark, chrome plated room. The last thing she remembered was Cloud had given Sephiroth the black materia and summoned meteor and then there was a bright flash of white... Then nothing. "Barrett…" she said softly. "Cloud…is he okay?"

"You don't remember do ya?" Barret replied. Barrett explained that since she was asleep these past seven days, a barrier surrounded the North Crater, large WEAPONS had emerged from the earth on a rampage and they were now holed up in Junon. "Right now, Rufus' if fightin' it. I hate to say it, but he's got guts. But there just isn't enough time left."

"Yeah…" Tifa bit her lower lip. Junon? So Rufus was here. She'd get to see him again. The rest of Barrett's came to her mind. "What do you mean by time?"

Barrett walked over to the window and lifted the blinds, showing the red monstrosity careening towards Gaia at an agonizingly slow but steady pace. Tifa breathed heavily. Were they out of time?

Suddenly, the two heard the automatic door open and emerged was her former blond lover in his blindingly white coat. She wanted to leap into his arms and kiss him. But there was something different about him. He was rigid, cold, and imposing. Had his return back at work turned him into a shell of his former self in such a short time? "I had thought Cloud would come to rescue you all. Professor Hojo wanted to check up on Cloud too," he said.

Tifa huffed. "What are you going to do to Cloud?" she asked. Rufus looked at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"With Meteor summoned, essentially it's all but over now. So there's no longer any need for you. But perhaps you two could still serve a purpose." Tifa stiffened. Did he intend to harm her? The same man that wanted to be her _protector_?

Just then, a large, bearded man in a green suit entered. "President, preparations for the public execution are complete," he bellowed.

 _EXECUTION?_ Tifa felt the blood drain from her face as she looked toward Rufus, hoping it was for someone else. Rufus' expression remained unchanged.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey folks,_

 _I just wanted to say thank you so much for reading my story! Please note that this chapter skips a lot of time. Since the focus of this story is on Rufus and Tifa, I didn't see the point in rewriting the scenes from the game, because you've obviously played it already. _ I know it seems choppy but I could've made this like 100+ words, or I could just condense it to the better parts._

 _I had a wonderful time writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it. ~Zeldafreak701_

 _Tifa led Rufus to the kitchen. After a quick walk through the snow that morning and enjoying the sunrise together, Tifa decided it was time to teach Rufus how to cook. "I don't want you to leave this place having not learned anything," she said humorously._

" _I've learned plenty," he said. "I learned how to make a snowball and where chocobos live."_

" _Well I'm going to let you leave with an actual skill. The Vice President of the Shinra Electric Power Company will learn how to cook something. Then maybe you can feed me for once."_

 _Rufus rolled his eyes. Tifa didn't recall ever having cooked a day in his life, but if she could teach him how to do it, it would just be another item on his, more than likely, long list of skills. Otherwise, to him, the pedestrian task of food prep should be left to the less fortunate. "Fine, what shall it be? Cake? Tenderloin?"_

 _Tifa laughed. "Yeah, you wish. We'll start with an egg."_

 _Rufus reared his head back and furrowed his brow. "An egg? Like a poached egg or eggs Florentine?"_

" _No, not some expensive item you see on the menu at fancy restaurant. Just an egg in a pan. With the others gone, we have a bunch you can practice with."_

 _Tifa hated to admit it, but she almost wished the others would not come back for just a bit longer. She knew that his presence back at the company was imperative to the future of Midgar and Gaia, but more still, she knew that once he left, he and Tifa would be on different sides again. She didn't want to think too much on what would happen if he was caught between his company and her, not yet. "Let's get to work."_

 _Tifa brought out two pans, two spatulas and two eggs then turned the heat on. Rufus stood beside her as he tried to follow Tifa's motions. "First you take some butter and grease the pan," Tifa rubbed a stick of butter around the pan. "No you do it."_

 _Rufus took the butter from her and did the same. "Easy."_

" _Okay now that the pan's hot enough, crack the egg and put it in the pan." Tifa slowly demonstrated the motion. Rufus mimicked her, but tapped the egg too lightly. Seeing it not crack, he repeated the motion and slammed the egg down on the counter, causing its contents to splatter everywhere. Rufus in shock stood back and looked at his hand covered in raw egg._

 _Tifa laughed. "That's okay, go wipe your hand off and try again."_

 _Rufus quickly did so and took extra care to not make the same mistake with the second egg. This time he was able to crack it and put its contents in the pan, then repeated motion now suddenly seeming more familiar._

" _Very good. Now once the white part is cooked, you're going to flip it. Like this," Tifa took the spatula and quickly moved it under the cooked egg then proceeded to flip it in the pan. Rufus looked down at his project and was about to repeat the motion until Tifa stopped him. "You must not break the yolk. That's the yellow part."_

" _I know what an egg yolk is," he said._

" _Okay, just making sure." Tifa smiled._

 _Rufus again mimicked Tifa's motion and soon found yellow seeping onto the white part of the egg. Rufus scrambled them up and Tifa put them onto a plate. "Let me try again."_

 _Soon Rufus was up to his fifth egg, the last two attempts using Tifa's pan and spatula, thinking that hers may be different. Finally, after many tries, Rufus finally managed to flip the egg flawlessly. She knew he couldn't believe it himself at first. "Look, I'm doing it!"_

 _Tifa came over and saw his good work. "Great!" she exclaimed. She reached over the pan, "now for some sal- AHH!" Tifa dropped the shaker and withdrew her right hand. She had accidently touched the hot pan. Tifa looked at the burn on the side of her palm._

" _Are you okay?" asked Rufus, taking Tifa's hand in his._

" _Yes…It happens sometimes," said Tifa._

 _Rufus looked at the small red spot and lightly kissed it. "Don't be so careless." He said gently. "My mom used to tell me that."_

 _Tifa slowly nodded. "My dad used to say that to me too." Tifa paused. "I used to love hearing him say it because it meant I was doing something that could make me stronger."_

 _Rufus smiled at her. "Love, now that's not a word I don't hear thrown around too often." Rufus shrugged._

" _Maybe this new chapter in your life will change that." She tilted her head to the plate full of scrambled eggs. "Hungry?"_

 _Rufus smirked at her. "Yes," he said simply as he approached her and lifted her on the counter. He took her again that morning and the two of them ate cold eggs for breakfast._

The memory resolved itself as Tifa heard Barrett's voice belt throughout the entire room. "What're ya going to gain by executin' us?" he yelled.

"For causing this situation," said Rufus. "People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished. I am a principled man who only has my company's best interest at heart."

" _Causing this situation?! Was it not_ your _beloved company that caused this situation?"_ Tifa thought.

"I take back what little praise I had for this jackass," Barrett wailed.

"Well enjoy your last moments together." Rufus arrogantly flicked loose strands of his hair from in front of his face.

Tifa looked at the same man that took her innocence. The same man who just mere weeks before said something to the effect of enjoying her while there was still time. _"Did you have your company's best interest at heart when you were thrusting yourself inside of me?"_ she thought. Was Rufus feigning affection for her this whole time? Did pouring her heart out to him before releasing him back to his old life push him away or make her look pathetic?

Rufus arrogantly flicked his hair from his face, a gesture she was used to seeing on television before his kidnapping. Tifa's gaze toward him turned venomous. Rufus turned to leave the room as Barrett and Tifa were led out behind him as their hands were bound behind their backs. Tifa tried to remain rigid, but she felt like an empty shell of herself in that moment. In such a short few weeks she had lost almost everything she held dear. First she lost Aerith in the Forgotten City, then she lost Cloud in the lifestream, then, after all of the woe and hardship, she felt a pang of excitement at the prospect of seeing Rufus again, a glimmer of hope in her life, but he seemed to have been lost to her too.

Tifa and Barrett were escorted into a large room with multiple desks and computers and a large window on the far wall. Rufus walked toward it, Tifa's gaze following him. His silhouette outlined by the setting sun's light moved further from her as she was forced to look the other way by the Shinra grunt. _"So this is how it ends?"_ Tifa thought. A flood of emotions went through her. Fear and disappoint were first for not only was she facing certain death, but all of her hard work trying to save the planet would go to waste. Then she felt relief. She would soon be reunited with her loved ones, her father, her friend Aerith, and Cloud if he was with them. She'd be separated from the man she thought she loved. The man who both literally and figuratively turned his back on her. Tifa took a deep breath, resolving she would face this with dignity.

She was led down the stairs through the Junon Shinra building. She soon found herself in the press room she was so familiar with. She remembered seeing Rufus there on television giving vague speeches about the company's activities. For a moment Tifa was slightly awed at actually standing there in person. There were even press people there too. It was a cheap thrill the soon faded when she was a middle-aged woman with obviously bleached hair and a dress that was clearly meant to be worn by a younger woman.

"Is everyone here?" she called. "These are the ones who brought this madness into the world!"

Barrett looked around. "What the hell are all these people here for?" he asked.

"We will be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television."

A reporter shoved a microphone in her face. "Scarlet, why a public execution in this day and age?" he asked.

Scarlet explained that in this time of crisis the need to rally public support was necessary, reasoning that somebody, _anybody_ , needed to be punished.

"You make me sick," Tifa said flatly when Scarlet finished.

The blond woman merely laughed an obnoxious horse cackle. "They'll never admit it, but everyone loves this stuff." She pointed at Tifa. "Let's start with this girl."

Barrett ran in front of Tifa. "If yer gonna do it, do me first!"

"Cameraman, get this! Everyone loves tearful goodbyes!"

Tifa was led into the execution chamber with little resistance. She looked for a chance to escape, but with her closest loved ones gone, she found herself not wanting to fight anymore. Tifa was the first to enter, and then Scarlet followed behind, shoving near the chair.

"What're you doing?" Tifa yelled.

"This is a special gas chamber. Enjoy your slow and painful death!" She laughed again as a Shinra grunt came in and forced her down in the chair. He tied her legs in place and began to remove the binds behind her back. Tifa cast her eyes forward, willing herself not to give them the satisfaction of her tears. Just then, she heard another person enter. "Mr. President! I thought you were in the control room."

Tifa looked up and saw the new President Shinra walk towards her. "I'll take care of this myself," he said. "Go do something about her accomplice."

The Shinra grunt scurried away immediately. Scarlet lingered a few moments, shooting Tifa a glare, then exiting. Rufus knelt down before Tifa, tying her hands to the posts. Tifa began to shake, trying desperately to hold her composure, but as Rufus tightened the binds, she felt it crumbling. His silence infuriated her. His calmness enraged her. As he fastened the binds at her wrists, Tifa suddenly began to thrash wildly. She tried to kick him but the binds at her ankles prevented her. She was angry at herself for not taking the chance to hit him with her fists while the binds were looser. She wanted to scream at him, but didn't know what to say. _"I hate you! How could you do this to me? After everything we've done?!"_ she wanted to shout, but her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something small and metallic get shoved into her right hand.

Tifa paused and looked down at Rufus who was still kneeling in front of her. "Don't be so careless," he said softly as he kissed her hand. He stood up and looked down at a stunned Tifa. He merely winked at her and left the room. Tifa could feel her heart beating wildly when she heard the door close behind him. When he was gone, she slowly turned her palm over and saw what Rufus had put in her hand. A key.

In the ensuing madness of the WEAPON attack, Tifa and Barrett managed to escape Junon on the Highwind with the help of their allies. Rufus watched from the control room as the airship went off in the distance. Rufus breathed a small sigh of relief. He knew putting Tifa in that situation was risky, but he knew she would be able to get out. He wanted to tell her how he felt in the chamber. He wanted to tell her that he thought of her every single day since he was returned. But with the approaching threat of WEAPON and the public quickly escalating into anarchy, there just wasn't enough time.

He saw her the day the now confirmed ex-SOLDIER gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth. She saw how Tifa called to him, trying to convince Cloud that he was just hearing voices. She hadn't even acknowledged him as she broke down at Cloud's words that he wasn't who he said he was. Rufus wanted to run to her, hug her, kiss her wildly but he couldn't in the presence of Scarlet and Hojo. As the huge materia descended upon them, Rufus saw Tifa remain still. "We must all evacuate. Grab them and bring them with us!" he ordered his grunts.

Despite being so close to him, she had not even seen him. Her mind was elsewhere, but she was alive. The crew had survived the WEAPON's emergence from the planet and he was able to ensure her safety for the second time as she and her comrades fled Junon.

The airship was unexpected though. His original intent was to tell his officers to stand down, but boy did her escape make for a remarkable show! More and more he was becoming impressed with her spirit and capability. He hoped she got the message that he was still wanted to be her protector. He knew that their lives and the lives of all that lived on the planet hung in the balance, facing certain doom. But if they survived, if the two of them emerged intact, he hoped she would find him again. She had to.

 _Many days later…_

Tifa and her friends found Cloud in the southern town of Mideel. At first Tifa was massively relieved that he had survived, but she saw him, she couldn't help but feel her hopes dashed instantly. Cloud wasn't the same spirited man that fell into the lifestream. He was in a wheelchair and barely coherent. He couldn't speak and could barely hold his head up.

"This is the worst case of Mako poisoning I've seen. He probably doesn't know who he is, let alone us. His mind is probably miles away from us," the doctor explained. Tifa dropped to her knees and laid her head on Cloud's lap. The doctor and Tifa's team excused themselves, wanting to leave them alone.

"Oh Cloud…I…" she whispered. "This is all my fault. I should've called for you louder. I should have grabbed you." Tifa sobbed. "I could've stopped you from handing over the Black Materia!" Tifa leaned back up and turned Cloud's wheelchair to face the hospital bed as Tifa sat upon it, holding his limp hands.

Tifa bit her lip. She wanted to get something off her chest, and knew this may be the only time she would be able to. "There's something I want to tell you. You probably won't hear me, or remember…but it needs to be said. Rufus Shinra…saved my life. In Junon, he gave me the key to my escape and I was able to leave. I slept with him, Cloud. I slept with him several times while you were gone with Barrett." In a way, she was relieved. Good friends should be able to tell each other about their experiences. "I know it was wrong. I love him, Cloud…and I know that's wrong too." She squeezed his hands. "I'll be here with you, Cloud. I'll be by your side as I know you would be with me. We'll get through this. You're the closest thing I have to a family left." She lifted the tops of Cloud's hands to her forehead and she dipped her head down. "Come back Cloud. I'm so lost right now."

 _Later…_

Aboard the Highwind, Tifa and her team saw the WEAPON get shot by the Sister Ray. It's retaliation came in bright yellow spurts being fired in the opposite direction. Reeve Tetsui, who was corresponding through a robotic cat, gave the grave news that the attack made a direct hit to Shinra headquarters.

"Ah canne reach tae president!" he called. "Tae is somethin' wrang!"

Later on, on the way toward the Northern Crater, Reeve fed them the information that the President's body wasn't found. "Serves 'im right!" said Barrett. "Now that he's confirmed dead maybe Shinra will collapse in the wake of all this madness."

"Forget about Shinra," said Cloud. "We need to get to Midgar and stop Hojo." Cloud paused. Tifa paid them no mind. All she needed to hear was that Rufus' body wasn't found, which didn't confirm anything. That spoke volumes to her.

After the devastation of Meteor and Holy's assault on the planet, Tifa had not heard anything from Rufus. She remembered saying a silent prayer to Aerith for Rufus' and her team's safety before they dove into the depths of the Northern Crater to defeat Sephiroth once and for all. In the following two years, Tifa and Cloud tried their best to resume a normal life, raising two children and opening up a small business.

The thoughts of Rufus began to wane in number with each passing day. Eventually, Tifa would not think of him at all during the day until she went to lay down to rest at night. Every time she did, she couldn't help but recall the first night they spent together in the cottage. But as the months went by and there was no word from Shinra Company or his Turks, Tifa began to lose hope. Even so, Rufus would have probably would have moved on by now.

That is until remnants of Sephiroth began to wreak havoc on the city of Edge, and Tifa spotted him among his Turks amidst the chaos that surrounded them. Tifa almost collapsed to her knees at the sight, but the adrenaline of the madness around her prevented her from doing so. He saw her too. She knew it. He was thinner, and he was bandaged up, but he was alive. He had survived!

Days after the Aerith's presence had healed the world, Tifa received a phone call from the new Shinra building. "Yo, lady," Reno's familiar voice came in. "I take it you saw the boss is alive and well."

Tifa felt her heart race. Even though she had seen him just a few days ago, this was the first time someone had openly talked about him to her. "Y-yes," she choked out.

"Well good. He's been really interested in seeing you."

Tifa was shaking as Reno told her the directions to his new location. It was the same location down she took for Cloud when Reno called him there a couple of weeks ago. He was just outside of town at Healen Lodge. Tifa took a ride out of town and approached the small building. It was a beautiful place with lush waterfalls and green foliage everywhere. Was Rufus here this entire time? Was he so close to her yet still did not try to contact her? No, she couldn't think about that now. He summoned her to him for a reason. And for better or worse, she would hear what he had to say.

She opened the door to the small reception area. The whole room, while newly constructed, was akin to a waiting room in an office building. Reno came up behind her and gave her a playful shove. "Well that was quick, yo," he grinned. He gestured toward a door with his night stick. "He's right in there."

Tifa nodded and thanked him. She took a deep breath and opened the door. When she did, she saw him sitting behind a desk by a mound of paperwork. She slowly shut the door behind her.

Rufus looked up and saw her. Her head was down and her face was red. She seemed shy at that moment. He stood up and walked around his desk and approached her. He put his hands on her shoulders as she looked up into his azure eyes. She didn't know what would happen next. Would he pretend like their encounters never happened?

Rufus leaned down and lightly kissed her. Tifa's heart fluttered as the memories of their short time together came flooding back to her. Every kiss, every romp, every snowball played out in her head. When she pulled away, she hugged him closely. Rufus held her. "Oh Tifa…." he said. "I've missed you."

It had been two long, heart breaking years, but the two of them were together again. Tifa was almost sure he had forgotten about her. But here he was, holding her, telling her that he missed her. "I've missed you, too Rufus…" she said while buried into his chest.

He leaned back and looked at her. She still held those bright red eyes he was used to seeing when he was kidnapped. He brought her to the desk and sat her on top of it and began to kiss her wildly. Tifa felt as if they had never left the cottage. She felt that all of the past events that had brought them back to this moment did not happen. She sighed against him as she gave herself to him once again.

 _The end._


End file.
